Anchorage Assembly to consider $1.9 million for police unit targeting impaired drivers

The Anchorage Assembly is set to take up a resolution Wednesday, Nov. 4, to accept more than $1.9 million in state highway-safety money for an Anchorage Police Department unit dedicated to impaired drivers.

It's the largest of four police traffic requests on the same agenda, each a state grant paired with a small city transfer, totaling about $2.6 million. The others would pay for:

• Speed enforcement, $353,262

• Street racing enforcement, $182,425

• Distracted driving that endangers pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, $113,318

The impaired-driving money, from the Alaska Department of Transportation, would staff the unit for a year, through Sept. 30, 2027, and buy four new patrol vehicles for $340,000, according to the resolution. Most of the rest goes to officers: $878,050 in regular pay, $252,164 in benefits and $206,600 in overtime. The police department would add its own required match, bringing the unit's total spending to about $1.98 million.

The speed grant targets roads with high collision rates and frequent speeding complaints. The distracted-driving grant targets Anchorage roads and intersections that the Alaska Highway Safety Office identified as having high collision rates for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists.

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's administration recommends approval. The impaired-driving grant period began Oct. 1, but the city can't seek repayment until the state issues a notice to proceed.