On first day as Anchorage’s new police chief, Kerle highlights drop in violent crimes

police officer smiles
Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle after he was sworn in on Feb. 2, 2022. (Matthew Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

Michael Kerle was sworn in as the new Anchorage police chief on Wednesday. He started his first day by presenting the city crime statistics for last year to the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee. 

Overall, almost every crime listed in the report, including rape, robbery, assault and vehicle theft, was down last year. Kerle noted one exception, however: homicides. There were 19 homicides in 2021.  

“We had one more last year than in 2020, but you can see the average four years, we averaged roughly 29 homicides,” Kerle said. “So the homicide rate is continuing to trend down. Just a slight uptick for last year.”

Kerle credited the declining violent crime rates to an increase in officers on the streets, and various crime prevention strategies. 

While Anchorage has 424 officers, including recruits at the police academy, some Assembly members are concerned that number could shrink because recent academy sessions have had small graduating classes.

“We had 10 graduating from the previous one, and I understand we’re expecting a similar number out of the current one,” Assembly member John Weddleton said to Kerle. “And that leaves us really short on officers coming up. You got a plan?”

Kerle and staff responded by saying they’re hosting focus groups to see how they can increase the number of women in the police force, with plans to address more broader pools of applicants in the future.

Kerle begins his tenure as chief as Anchorage is set to require officers to wear body cameras. The policy was approved by voters last year. Minutes after Kerle was confirmed by the Anchorage Assembly Tuesday night, several community members spoke during public testimony, asking for the department to be more open with its proposed camera policy. It has drawn criticism in its current form because it isn’t clear on how camera footage could be released to the public. 

Kerle didn’t speak on the camera policy during his remarks to the public safety commission on Wednesday. The Assembly will hold a work session on the body-worn camera policy on Feb. 18.

Kerle has served with the Anchorage Police Department since 1996 and took over the lead of the department from Ken McCoy who abruptly announced his retirement earlier this winter.

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Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.

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