APD awards $1.66M opioid settlement contract for deflection program

The Anchorage Police Department has recommended a four-year contract with True North Recovery, Inc. for deflection navigation services and case management, with a total not-to-exceed value of $1,664,600. The Anchorage Assembly is scheduled to take up the contract award at its Tuesday meeting.

The contract, identified as Request for Proposals 2026P017, would fund a navigator who connects people in substance use crises to treatment services rather than the criminal justice system.

The base year runs $397,900 for 2026, funded entirely from the Anchorage Health Department's Opioid Settlement account, not the police operating budget. Three option years follow: $409,800 in 2027, $422,100 in 2028, and $434,800 in 2029.

The recommendation memorandum, dated June 8, 2026, was prepared by Leilah Lawyer, resource manager, and routed through Chief of Police Sean Case to Purchasing Director Chris Hunter. "Negotiations with the selected proposer, True North Recovery, Inc, for the above referenced project are completed and we recommend the contract be awarded to the contractor," the memo states.

How Deflection Works

Deflection programs intervene before arrest. When an officer encounters someone in a substance use crisis, a deflection navigator connects that person to treatment rather than booking. Under the negotiated contract terms, the contractor will provide both deflection navigation services and case management.