Anchorage, State Partner to Increase Felony Prosecutions
"Public safety is our top priority, and we are finding new ways to cooperate across state and municipal lines for the benefit of all Anchorage residents," Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said. "This effort is made possible by the growth of the Anchorage Police Department and the willingness of the prosecuting agencies to adopt innovative solutions in the face of the state fiscal crisis."
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz of Anchorage, Alaska, and Alaska Gov. Bill Walker recently announced a "strategic partnership" of the Anchorage District Attorney's Office, the Municipal Prosecutor's Office, and the Anchorage Police Department will increase prosecution of felonies in Anchorage, particularly for domestic violence and property offenses. They said this effort is a new way to leverage existing state and local resources in Alaska's most populous city.
"The State of Alaska and Municipality of Anchorage have limited resources but a shared mission to improve public safety," Walker said. "We can accomplish this better by working together, especially when it comes to domestic violence cases. This new collaboration will help build a safer Alaska."
"Public safety is our top priority, and we are finding new ways to cooperate across state and municipal lines for the benefit of all Anchorage residents," Berkowitz agreed. "This effort is made possible by the growth of the Anchorage Police Department and the willingness of the prosecuting agencies to adopt innovative solutions in the face of the state fiscal crisis."
Currently, the State Department of Law prosecutes all felonies that occur in Anchorage and throughout Alaska. The Municipal Prosecutor's Office prosecutes misdemeanor offenses and has special expertise in prosecuting domestic violence offenses. To increase the number of felony domestic violence and felony property crime prosecutions, the city will provide two police officers to serve as investigators within the Anchorage District Attorney's Office.
"These positions will improve the quality and efficiency of our investigations, making Anchorage safer," said Chief Justin Doll.
A state-funded municipal prosecutor will also be cross-designated as a special assistant district attorney for these prosecutions.