Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance began her term on July 1, 2024, after representing South Anchorage for six years on the Anchorage Assembly and unseating former mayor Dave Bronson.
Upon completing her first year as mayor, LaFrance sat down with Alaska Public Media’s Wesley Early to discuss some of her accomplishments, the city’s response to homelessness, goals for increasing the city’s housing supply and ongoing public safety concerns.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Wesley Early: You began serving as mayor a year ago. What would you say is your single biggest accomplishment so far?
Suzanne LaFrance: Well, since we've been here at work for the last year, we've been really focused on fixing what's broken at the municipality and at the same time building a strong foundation for our community's future. And so I feel really proud of the fact that, for example, the prosecutor's department has been fully rebuilt and is 100% staffed, and we are on track to have zero speedy trial dismissals. We also have our finances under control. And when we came in, we didn't know how much money we had, and the books were really behind. And as the teams have got us caught up, they've also made it a more efficient and streamlined process. So there are a lot of good government accomplishments that will really serve us well as we move into this next year.
WE: And what would you say has been your one greatest challenge?
SL: Well, you know, we have worked hard to develop partnerships, and we really need partnerships with the federal government, with the state, with providers in our community, because otherwise taxpayers end up, you know, footing the bill for everything. And so I'm really happy about the partnership that we've developed with DOT (Department of Transportation), for example. But you know, as we move forward, developing more of those partnerships, because we are resource constrained, those partnerships will be key.
WE: So I'd like to talk a little about homelessness. Your administration adopted a Housing First model aimed at clearing camps and moving people into shelter and ideally into housing. What would you say to people who feel like not enough has been done, despite millions of dollars being spent?
SL: Well, I would say that, you know, we have abated 28 camps, and we just recently abated Davis (Park) and the snow dump, and that was a particularly entrenched camp that had been there for years. And when we started the abatement, there were maybe about 100 people there. And we saw 50 people go into shelter housing, another two people go into treatment. There was a group that moved from that camp downtown, and then when the police went and told them, “Hey, you can't be here. This is a space that's already been abated,” seven or more of those individuals also went into housing or shelter. And so what we see with, you know, taking this focus on abatement, when camps become dangerous for the people who live there, dangerous for the people who live nearby, it creates positive movement. Because at the same time, we have been committed to setting up that, you know, basic public safety service net, and so there are shelter options available and housing and we work hard to connect people to the services they need.
WE: And what would you say success at addressing homelessness will look like to you?
SL: Well, it means fewer people sleeping on the streets. It means continuing to have that year round public safety net for individuals. It means we've got partnerships with folks who provide services so that we can connect people to what they need. And it means that our public spaces are safe and healthy and accessible to everyone.
WE: Your administration has said that many people who the city clear from an encampment end up just camping somewhere else. And even if you criminalize homeless camping in some situations, as your administration has proposed, how do you end this cycle of people just going to camp in a different place?
SL: Well, you know, like with the example from Davis Park and the individuals who moved downtown, some of those individuals ended up going into shelter and housing. I mean, housing is the goal, and we need more units at all price points, and supportive housing as well in our community. This is just part of creating that movement and, you know, giving options to people, and also, in some cases, enforcing the law.
WE: So to drill down on the proposal a little bit more, your administration proposed criminalizing camping in some situations, but you know, you've repeatedly said that homelessness shouldn't be a crime. I'm curious what the disconnect is there, because it seems like a lot of people, their only option is to camp outdoors.
SL: Sure, and speaking specifically to what we're proposing, I mean taking a step back, right? We all agree there are places people should never camp: schools, playgrounds, near roads, on trails, by waterways, on fields, anywhere where children are, right? And so this proposed change to code would enable the municipality to act faster and to also prevent entrenched encampments like what we've seen at Davis and the snow dump, because, I mean, those are very resource-intensive. I was just there yesterday. It's moved into the cleanup phase, and there were volunteers, and there's still a lot of work to do. And I can tell you that really, you know, made very clear to me that we've got to do everything we can to prevent these kinds of encampments from occurring because they're not safe, they're not healthy, and it doesn't do anyone any good to stay in those camps. They're dangerous, and it also enables places for, you know, people who are dealing drugs to go and create situations where people who are vulnerable are even at greater risk. So this ordinance is intended to enable us to act faster and like, if someone is starting to build a structure, you know, to go to that person and say, “Okay, you can't, you can't do that here. You need to move. But here are some resources. Here are some other options.” And of course, if they, you know, decline those options, of going into shelter or treatment, or whatever is available and appropriate, then they may end up, you know, being arrested if they refuse to leave. But the intent isn't to put people in jail. It's to get compliance. And if you talk to some of our APD officers, for the most part, people will move. Like if an officer comes and says, “Hey, you can't camp here,” I think around 97% or so of individuals will be like, “okay,” and they'll leave. And so it's for those few instances where people won't, and also just to make it very clear, there are places in our community where people should never camp.
WE: You mentioned housing earlier. Your administration has proposed an admittedly ambitious goal of building 10,000 homes in 10 years.
SL: Sure.
WE: Do you happen to know offhand, how many homes have been built since you took office?
SL: No, not offhand. And we're looking at this in terms of like a snowball effect, like there's groundwork that we're doing now. We're working closely with the Assembly to streamline code and zoning, and, you know, we put forward a tax break for multifamily housing, and there's been a lot of interest there. I will say that as far as multifamily permits go, we have seen almost double the amount in 2025 so far that we saw in all of 2024.
WE: What's currently standing in the way of building more housing? How much of this is sort of in the city's control versus developers’?
SL: Yeah, you know, we have been working through roadblocks as they have come to light, and working closely with developers and builders, with members of the trade unions as well. And I know that materials can be expensive. We're limited with land here, but we still have a lot of, you know, places where we can build, and as we continue to eliminate certain barriers around site access or zoning and create incentives, then I think we will zero in on any remaining barriers.
WE: When running for office, you noted the quality of life was a major factor when it comes to attracting people to Anchorage and stay here. How would you say quality of life has improved under your administration?
SL: Well, we have been focusing on public safety. I believe that is the most important job of our municipal government. And you know, have listened when people have said, you know, “I don't feel safe downtown,” or wherever and like on our trails and in our parks. And so we have focused on addressing homelessness, staffing up the police department. We have seen a high vacancy rate with our sworn officers, but I'm happy to say that trend is reversing, and our current police academy is full for the first time in like five years. We are also bringing on 19 community service officers, which the chief calls “cops without guns in trucks,” and who can take some of the load off of the sworn officers. You know, sometimes sworn officers, when they're responding to like a traffic accident, they have to wait around for a tow truck. Or there are things that non sworn officers can do. So we have a very sharp focus on public safety, because I believe that that's a big part of quality of life, is feeling safe in your community and ensuring that your public spaces are healthy and accessible for everyone. And then, of course, there are lots of other things, I think, too, with developing more trails and parks and ensuring that the community is a good place to do business. You know, we love all the different restaurants we have here, and we're working closely with the Performing Arts Center director to ensure that we'll be able to resume shows and because I know that's a big part of quality of life for people, and it starts with a good foundation, and it starts with people feeling safe and also ensuring that they can afford to live here besides wanting to live here. So affordability is a piece of that, too, that we're focused on.
WE: Before we move on to more public safety questions, I am curious, you know, one of the biggest topics is that Southcentral Alaska faces an impending natural gas crunch. How concerned are you about that, and what can your administration do to help residents power their homes in the event that natural gas runs out?
SL: Yeah that's one that felt really imminent during some of those cold snaps this winter. And there were, you know, a lot of concerns and about, you know what will happen if it runs out and certainly, affordability is an issue. My administration is engaged with other mayors in looking at ways where we can support projects. I mean, locally here at the municipality, we're pursuing waste-to-energy as a potential project and pump storage hydro, and continue to explore ways that we can supplement with green energy. But I know with some of the developments, like over this winter, it doesn't feel quite as ominous, right, but it's still something that we're engaged with and looking at, you know, how can we help. How can we be part of a positive messaging around taking action for the future too? Because, I mean again, affordability-wise, it seems quite certain that costs are going to go up.
WE: And moving on to public safety, your administration called for several internal and external reviews of the police department in the wake of a string of police shootings. There have been nine since you've taken office. As those reviews are getting wrapped up, how do you think the Department could improve its policies regarding use of force?
SL: Well, we just went through the public procurement process to hire an external consultant, who I believe has already actually started to review APD’s policies and procedures and training. And I expect that there will be some recommendations from that report and from that review.
WE: But as mayor, does it concern you that there are a high number of police shootings since you've taken office, and that these reviews are even necessary?
SL: Well, I mean, ideally we would not have situations where there are officer-involved shootings. I mean, nobody wants that outcome. The officers certainly don't. That's something that they end up, you know, having to carry with them as well. And so we want to make sure that we are, we're supporting officers with the right training and resources. We know that so many individuals who end up… who police are responding to, are experiencing behavioral health crises or substance misuse issues, and so we have looked closely at, you know, are we deploying the right team? We have such a great chief who takes a holistic view of public safety and recognizes that behavioral health is such a big part of it. We have the HOPE team that goes out and does outreach with individuals who are camping, and that's a police officer and a clinician. We've got the Mobile Intervention Team, which, you know, they go to some hot spots, right, and work to de-escalate. And then our officers, too, are trained to respond to a number of situations. But, you know, they never know what they'll face, and we ask them to do the impossible. And one thing I appreciate about the chief is he recognized too, that these jobs, these are really tough jobs, and to expect that an individual goes from one situation of high adrenaline to the other, to the next without any break. I mean, he's changed how the shifts work, where people can… “I need to decompress before moving on to the next call,” because, again, we're asking them to do these really tough jobs, and need to ensure that training-wise and with full support, we're taking a holistic approach.
WE: And there have been some attempts from the Assembly and some community members to establish a sort of community advisory board to allow the public to weigh in on the police department. Just yesterday, a petition was approved to establish an Office of Inspector General. Where do you stand on that sort of idea of more public input into how the city police department operates?
SL: Public engagement is really important. Transparency is really important. And I think that when we talk about police oversight boards, it really depends on the structure, right? I mean, I don't support subpoena power for such a board, for example, but I think that there are different structures, depending on what it looks like. You know, we've had a public safety advisory commission from time to time that has engaged and that hasn't been consistent, but I know that idea has come up in these conversations about maybe there's a way to strengthen that and provide that public engagement. So I'm open to those conversations, but again, for me, I don't support subpoena power to such a board.
WE: Anchorage has also seen a high amount of pedestrian fatalities in recent years. Can you talk about how your administration is working to reduce those deaths moving forward?
SL: So many of our high speed roads in the municipality are state roads, and so having a good partnership with DOT is critical. It's alarming and very, you know, very concerning to see that the numbers so far this year are putting us on a path toward exceeding last year's number of fatalities. It's not safe, generally speaking, to be a pedestrian or a cyclist in Anchorage, because we have these high speed roads. And, you know, a sidewalk can end, or a path can end. And so working long term with DOT to address issues is important, I mean, in how we design, and then in the short term, you know, looking at adding more lighting, where we can reduce speed limits, where we can drop lanes sometimes too for these really big roadways, are all areas that we're looking at.
WE: And as immigration enforcement has cracked down nationwide, there have been reports of ICE arrests in Anchorage. I'm curious, what's the relationship between APD and ICE, and what's your response to these types of detentions occurring in Anchorage?
SL: I am aware that there have been some arrests, or I’m not sure what the right word is there for that. I know there have been some instances where people have attributed, like there was just a big crime suppression effort, and some folks thought that was ICE, when actually it was a multi agency response. The role between APD and ICE, I mean, we've got our job here at the municipal level to enforce the laws of the municipality and the state. And I know that ICE, they have their own law, or their own role, and what they do. And as I understand it, those are pretty much separate.
WE: Does it bother you that immigration advocates are kind of decrying some of these immigration arrests as unlawful, as not following due process, and that they're happening in the city that you're in charge of?
SL: That's a piece where, frankly, it's really frustrating, because we've got some real public safety issues. I mean, like the crime suppression effort, three pounds, over three pounds of fentanyl was seized in our community. If the federal agencies are going to take an interest in our community, I sure wish they would focus on like drugs and violent crimes. We don't have, to my knowledge, any issues or problems with immigration here. You know, we've got outmigration. We want people to come here. You know, we need workforce. And also we're a diverse place. We appreciate the backgrounds that people have and our stories about why we came to Alaska. So quite frankly, I don't really see, you know, why there would be interest in those activities here in Anchorage or Alaska.
WE: And you have two years left as mayor in this term. What are your top two priorities that you aim to get done before your term ends?
SL: Ah, so many things to do. Well, you know, we're going to make big progress on public safety and homelessness, and I look forward to seeing reduced numbers of people sleeping outside and also more services. But I'm really excited about our economic development opportunities. And there's a lot that's positive that's going on now. And, you know, I love going to ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings. Those are really fun and just really positive thinking about our future. We've got the RV Resort on Third Avenue, and that will not only provide 135 or so spaces, but pickleball courts and a garden, and, you know, other positive activities. In phase two, workforce housing in an area that really needs to be activated, and it'll also provide a commemorative area for the Alaska Native hospital that was there. We've seen a new hotel open and over 100 jobs there, and a new car wash and the Northlink cargo project as well. It was exciting to move forward on that tax abatement. That's something that will create around 400 jobs. And so I'm excited about the opportunities that we have here for growth and housing. You know, we're going to build housing. That's huge. I guess when you asked for two, I kind of just took that one for granted, because we're on our audacious trajectory of 10,000 homes. But we're going to make progress there, and a big reason for that is the partnerships are in place, and people are excited and committed, and we care about our community.
