Anchorage ombudsman faults transit's screen-filmed bus video record

Anchorage's transit agency filled a public records request for bus video by recording a computer screen with a personal device, producing footage of extremely poor quality with no audio, the Municipal Ombudsman found in a case detailed in the office's 2025 annual report, released Thursday.

The constituent reported being injured on a People Mover bus in February 2024 and paid the department a $50 fee for the recording. Public Transit has agreed to refund it. People Mover, the largest transit provider in Alaska, averages about 12,000 passengers each weekday.

The case built on persistence. Between early 2024 and late 2025, the constituent contacted the Ombudsman's Office nine times about the incident. No formal complaint form was ever submitted. Staff opened a formal review anyway, citing the frequency of the contacts. The complaints centered on the denial of a liability claim, the reasoning behind that denial, and difficulty obtaining video from the Public Transportation Department.

Ombudsman staff reviewed the claim file and met with Risk Management leadership. They concluded the claim had been assessed adequately and that the rationale for denial was supported.

The Ombudsman found problems with how the records request was handled. Staff met with transit supervisors to view the original footage and review procedures. Supervisors acknowledged the improper method and said the agency's three aging video security systems create significant technical barriers to producing usable copies. They also said the department's policies and procedures had not been updated in more than a decade.

The Ombudsman found the request was technically fulfilled but did not meet the intent of AMC 3.90, a section of the Anchorage Municipal Code. The office pointed to software limits and inconsistent, delayed records practices at the agency during the past mayoral administration. Public Transit agreed with recommendations to finish updating its policies and to modernize the bus video systems. The office noted the upgrades will likely require the Assembly and administration to appropriate money to Public Transit.

Video carries weight beyond one claim. Anchorage's banned rider policy requires incident reports to state whether People Mover or AnchorRIDES systems recorded an incident.

The case went to the Assembly as a final investigative report on March 24, 2026. Deputy Ombudsman Drew Ford wrote in the annual report that "Ombudsman authority is limited to investigating and recommending changes."