Anchorage Assembly approves conditional public intoxication ban

Anchorage police can now cite people for public intoxication in parks, on school grounds, in government buildings such as libraries, and on sidewalks. The Anchorage Assembly approved the measure in an 11-1 vote.

The ordinance also creates new criminal prohibitions on public indecency, on threatening or menacing behavior that interferes with others' use of a public place, and on spitting or transferring bodily fluids onto another person without consent. Each is a Class B misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both. Sentencing is left to a judge.

The intoxication provision applies only when a person interferes with others' reasonable use of the space or refuses an offer of transport from police, fire or Safety Patrol.

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance proposed the ordinance. Assembly members Zac Johnson and Kameron Perez-Verdia cosponsored it. Her administration said the measure closes gaps that limit police intervention, and that "these tools will provide more opportunities for first responders to connect individuals experiencing crisis in public spaces" with shelter and treatment.

Anchorage has tracked outreach tied to enforcement before. The city's camping ordinance has been in effect since July 2025. A city report found that 88.7% of 1,085 field contacts ended in voluntary compliance. Of the 962 people who complied, 72, or 7.5%, accepted a services referral at the time of contact. Those figures measure a separate ordinance and do not directly gauge the effect of the new one.

The ACLU of Alaska argues that broad intoxication and menacing provisions risk criminalizing poverty.

The ordinance, AO 2026-10, takes effect 30 days after passage and approval.