Anchorage Assembly to weigh spending up to $1.5 million from police technology levy

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance is asking the Anchorage Assembly to approve up to $1.5 million from the city's police technology tax levy fund for Anchorage Police Department "technology implementation and maintenance." The Assembly is set to introduce the resolution at its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17, and hold a public hearing Tuesday, Dec. 1.

The money would come from the fund's existing balance. The companion memorandum, submitted by LaFrance and approved by Police Chief Sean Case, places the full amount in an account labeled "Contractual Svcs Other." Neither document names a vendor or a specific system. The Assembly chair submitted the resolution at the mayor's request.

Voters approved the special tax levy behind the fund. The 2026 municipal budget dedicates it to lease costs for police body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, digital evidence management, computer-aided dispatch, records-management systems and related technology. The budget's fund summary listed $1.84 million for the fund in both 2025 and 2026.

The request comes as the Assembly debates how APD uses surveillance technology. In September 2025 the Assembly approved an $11.8 million contract with Axon Enterprise for body cameras, dash cameras and related equipment. A separate proposed ordinance would require Assembly approval before any contract that materially expands surveillance capabilities, regardless of the contract's dollar value.

Last week the Assembly voted 10-1 to create an ad hoc committee that will review APD policies over a one-year term. Its technology review covers the Real-Time Crime Center, drones, cameras and automated license plate readers.

Residents can testify or send written comments through the Assembly's testimony page. The Nov. 17 agenda says phone testimony requires signing up there by 5 pm the day before the meeting.