Anchorage police oversight proposal dies without a second

A proposal to give Anchorage a police oversight commission — one already stripped of any power to investigate — died Tuesday night without a single second.

Assembly Member Kameron Perez-Verdia moved the measure after the public hearing closed. Chair Anna Brawley asked twice whether anyone would second it. No one did, and the item died.

The city has had no public safety oversight body since the previous commission expired in January 2024. The version on the table would have seated 14 members explicitly barred from conducting investigations, issuing subpoenas, or affecting officer discipline. A six-month task force had recommended in December that any new commission hold investigatory and subpoena authority. Neither made it into the ordinance that failed.

At the hearing, APD Sgt. Matthew Hall argued active-duty officers should have a seat and pointed to transparency programs the department already runs. The mother of Tyler May told members the public deserves a commission "that is independent, transparent, and trusted."