A large crowd of Anchorage residents gathered in a popular park that recently saw a double murder to question the mayor and police chief about crime.
It was a scene that at times devolved into impassioned shouting. Though there were a few boos of disapproval, residents and officials also applauded and laughed with one another as Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and Police Chief Chris Tolley fielded questions for an hour-and-a-half from a crowd of almost 150 people.
The event was informal and happened under a pavilion in Valley of the Moon Park. Less than two weeks ago, the affluent neighborhood near downtown Anchorage saw the unsolved murders of Bryant “Brie” DeHusson and Kevin S. Turner, which has left many nearby residents extremely concerned about their safety.
Eva Gardner lives right next to the park, and helped coordinate a letter signed by more than 90 people and sent to the mayor asking for solutions to a perceived rise in crime and violence. She spoke about the discrepancy between assurances of safety from officials, and a feeling of worsening violent crime.
“That kind of jars when you look back last week at a warning APD put out about staying off the trails after dark,” Gardner said during a short interview.
She was referring to a statement issued by the police department not long after the Valley of the Moon killings advising residents not to travel alone at night through parks, trails, or quiet streets, though several residents said those are exactly the reasons they live in the area.
Many of the questions touched on sensitive and overlapping topics within the city’s discussions of public safety: Petty theft, homeless camps, addiction, violent crime, and growing speculation about the possibility of a serial killer.
Frequently the conversation hovered over issues of homelessness, which annoyed Rosalyn Thompson, who was friends with victim DeHusson. Thompson lived in the neighborhood for three years, and said that while the fears are legitimate, she’s troubled by people’s quickness to point blame at the homeless.
“I mean it was a friend of mine that was murdered, and for no reason as far as I know,” DeHusson said a little way aways from the crowd with her dog Daisy. ”
“It is concerning, and I feel like my hyper-vigilance is through the roof, especially since the mayor and police chief are just giving us fluffy political answers,” Thompson added. “I think people have a right to be concerned, but I wish they weren’t demonizing the homeless while they were at it.”
So far this year, Anchorage has had 25 homicides, not including two officer-involved shootings and numerous other non-lethal shootings.