On August 13, 2024, an Anchorage Police Officer shot and killed 16-year-old Easter Leafa. In response to this incident and the five prior officer-involved shootings that occurred in Anchorage during the summer of 2024, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Chief of Police Sean Case announced a series of actions on August 15, 2024. Mayor LaFrance directed the Municipal Attorney to facilitate two layers of external reviews aimed at understanding the factors leading to officer-involved shootings and recommending changes to the Anchorage Police Department’s policies and training to help reduce such incidents.
The first layer involves a third-party investigator overseeing the administrative investigation of the August 13 incident. This investigator has recently released a four-page public report containing recommendations for training and policy changes for the Anchorage Police Department.
The second layer consists of a comprehensive third-party review of APD’s policies, training, tactics, and supervision related to the use of force, de-escalation, and cultural awareness. This review aims to recommend best practices that can help reduce the occurrence of officer-involved shootings. The Mayor’s office has prepared a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations qualified to conduct this comprehensive review.
This independent review is essential for addressing the Anchorage Police Department’s use of deadly force. It should be carried out by a reputable organization with expertise in police policy analysis and involve active participation from the community. The Justice Committee has suggested several qualified organizations that can effectively conduct an external review of the Anchorage Police Department’s policies, training, tactics, and supervision.
400 Years of African American History Commission and IFFML
Kideste M. Yusef, PhD
Associate Dean of Research, COAH
Associate Professor, Criminal Justice
Bethune-Cookman University
“I Fear for My Life” National Coordinator/Research Director
Dr. Yusef and her team are already planning a trip to Alaska with the following goals:
Community Goals:
- Establish a civilian review board (the specific model and whether the board will have subpoena/investigatory powers are under discussion).
- Change the Use of Force Law (addressing ambiguous language and the broad application of ( “I feared for my life” ).
- Implement body camera guidelines.
- Foster stronger police-community engagement through the IFFML model.
Commission and IFFML Goals:
- Foster stronger police-community engagement through the IFFML model.
- Collect data reflecting the experiences and perceptions of the Anchorage community (including police officers, community residents, leaders, activists, and youth).
- Deliver evidence-based training to the community and the Anchorage Police Department (APD).
- Provide the community with an action plan based on SMART metrics.
National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE)
Members of the Municipal Assembly have discussed funding to contract NACOLE to explore oversight of APD. However, a budget amendment to allocate funding to NACOLE did not pass the full Assembly. We hope that NACOLE will submit a bid in response to this RFP.
United States Department of Justice (DOJ)
The DOJ Community Relations Service has offered assistance in identifying other police policy review experts.
Our goal is to engage a strong expert organization that can conduct a meaningful review of APD policies and procedures, promoting transparency and accountability in public safety and the use of deadly force.
