By SUZANNE DOWNING
April 14, 2026 – Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, moving into her third year in office, is touting an expanded police foot patrol presence in downtown Anchorage as part of her administration’s broader push to “revitalize” the city’s core, but her latest announcement notably sidesteps what many residents and business owners say is the most visible and persistent issue: people sleeping in doorways, alleys, and on sidewalks.
In a press release this week, the mayor’s office highlighted continued foot patrols by the Anchorage Police Department, with two officers assigned to walk the downtown corridor daily from 8 am to 10 pm through the end of 2026. The effort, which she said is funded through hotel bed taxes, is framed as a way to promote a “safe and welcoming environment” for businesses, residents, and visitors.
The language of the release is careful and broad, emphasizing “community policing,” “public presence,” and “addressing evolving community needs.” It lists business check-ins, responsiveness, and enforcement as priorities, while describing downtown as Anchorage’s “living room.”
What it does not mention is the street people scene.
There is no reference to sidewalk camping, people sleeping in entryways, in the doorway of the Visitors Center, or the visible street population that has become a daily reality in parts of downtown. For many Anchorage residents who frequent the area, that omission may stand out.
Instead, the administration points to increased police visibility as a general solution, suggesting that officers on foot will deter crime and build relationships. Whether that translates into addressing the day-to-day concerns of business owners, particularly those dealing with loitering, public sleeping, and disorderly conduct—remains unclear from the release.
The other voice quoted in the announcement is Deborah Bonito, owner of The Kobuk, who praised the patrols and said business owners are “already seeing the impact.” Bonito is also a well-known figure in local Democratic circles and is married to Mark Begich, former mayor and former US senator, adding a political dimension.
The administration’s broader downtown plan includes infrastructure upgrades, park renovations, and expanded surveillance through live cameras, along with redevelopment efforts coordinated with the Anchorage Community Development Authority.
But for many Anchorage residents, the central question remains whether those efforts will confront the most visible challenge facing downtown or will the mayor just continue to talk around it.
3 thoughts on “Mayor LaFrance touts downtown patrols, avoids mentioning the real issue”
Well. This is the same political crowd that takes Moose turds and turn them into earrings. No matter how its dressed its still a turd.
Simply put, this is nothing short of … “Too Little Too Late!” There’s only 2-3 establishments worthy to visit downtown, I suggest // recommend you Uber or Lyft there (to the front door). More and more options are available outside of downtown. Unfortunately, our treasured visitors will most assuredly experience the ugliness, unsavoriness, and reduced safety. Ultimately and unfortunately, these dreaded experiences leaving them with a horrifying negative impression of Anchorage.
Los Anchorage will continue its slide into decadence, decay and squalor as long as the substance-abusing and mentally ill dregs of society continue to be coddled and pandered to. Which is to say, as long as the assembly’s radical leftist supermajority remains in power (through mail-in voting).