It’s unclear how Alaska compares to other states in terms of the prevalence of police use of force or excessive force.
Some data in recent years comparing states suggest Alaska has one of the highest rates of police killings, per capita, in the country. But University of Alaska Justice Center Director Brad Myrstol said, in a state with a relatively small population, the difference between one or two such incidents can be magnified.
It’s in times like these, Myrstol said, that researchers wish they had better numbers.
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Casey Grove is the host of Alaska News Nightly and a general assignment reporter at Alaska Public Media with an emphasis on crime and courts. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org.
