Anchorage Assembly to consider $511,190 grant to replace police mobile data computers

Anchorage police would replace about 80 to 85 aging mobile data computers, the laptops mounted in patrol cars, under a $511,190 federal grant set before the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Justice through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. It is a reimbursable grant, meaning the city spends the money first and then files quarterly requests to be paid back, along with required quarterly reports. Anchorage would separately add $11,242 from the Anchorage Police Department's 2026 operating budget to cover intragovernmental charges, bringing the total to $522,432, according to the resolution.

The grant also covers outdated desktop and laptop computers and additional monitors. The department says it needs the equipment to support its new CAD/RMS system, the software behind police dispatch and records. The upgrades will help ensure system compatibility, improve efficiency and keep technology secure and reliable, according to the administration's memo to the Assembly.

The memo splits the $511,190 federal award three ways:

• $302,000 for the Panasonic Mobile Laptop Refresh Project

• $205,376 for the Staff Computer Refresh Project

• $3,814 for grant training and travel

The federal program required a public hearing before the city applied. The department held one May 27 at police headquarters, and no one offered comment, the memo says.

Police Chief Sean Case approved the request, and Mayor Suzanne LaFrance submitted it to the Assembly. The grant period began Oct. 1, 2025, and runs through Sept. 30, 2028. The measure, AR 2026-286, would take effect immediately if the Assembly approves it.