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Mayor's office, APD publish outside investigator recommendations and open RFP for use-of-force policy review
Summary
The administration released a public set of recommendations from an outside investigator’s review of an Aug. 13 officer-involved shooting and opened an RFP (closes Feb. 13) for a broader external policy review of APD use-of-force, training and supervision; APD says it has accepted many recommendations and will report on operational changes.
The mayor’s office and the Anchorage Police Department on Feb. 5 briefed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on two outside reviews tied to August 13 officer-involved shooting investigations: (1) a public summary of recommendations prepared by outside investigator Christopher Darcy and (2) an open request for proposals for a comprehensive external review of APD policies, procedures, tactics, supervision and training related to use of force and de-escalation.
Thea Agnew Benben, special assistant to the mayor, said the mayor will soon provide a public safety strategy document and that the Darcy document — produced as part of an external review of a specific critical incident — includes 11 public-facing recommendations. The full investigative report is protected under municipal code as personal information and is not public, but the public recommendations are intended to guide policy updates. Chief Christopher Case told the committee that many of Darcy’s recommendations overlap with earlier department work, a 15-year internal review and a recent staffing study; APD has begun operationalizing a set of eight scenarios and intends to incorporate accepted recommendations into policy, training and supervision changes.
The RFP for the broader policy review opened publicly and closes Feb. 13; the administration said it allowed roughly 45 days for responses. The RFP contemplates multiple phases and asks for research and analysis, key-informant interviews and recommendations; the RFP states an ideal completion timeline of about six months after contract execution. The mayor’s office said community involvement is expected but acknowledged the RFP is primarily an internally focused review; the administration will explore adding broader community engagement during contract negotiation or by separate steps if contractors cannot accommodate all desired work.
Assembly members requested clearer links between Darcy’s recommendations, the staffing study and what APD already has begun implementing; Chief Case and the administration said they would provide updates and proposed work-session materials. Members also asked whether the RFP’s scope could be expanded to include more community-level engagement; the administration said it would explore how to do that within procurement constraints.
Community testimony to the committee underscored public concern: a caller, Emily Clark of District 3, said multiple officer-involved shootings in early 2025 have left residents fearful and urged independent civilian oversight and broader public dialogue. The committee and administration agreed to schedule a work session so the public can hear a fuller presentation of APD operational changes, training and policy updates in the months ahead.
No procurement award was announced at the meeting; the administration expects to form a scoring committee, evaluate proposals, negotiate a contract and return to the Assembly with a recommended contractor for approval within the coming weeks.
