Crime Increases As Mayor
In his first budget as Mayor of Anchorage, Begich proposed cutting 27 police personnel positions and adding 13 property assessment and tax collections staff positions. Then, during his first term as Mayor, the violent crime rate increased by 45%.
- In his proposed Fiscal 2004 budget, Mark Begich proposed cutting 27 full-time positions in the Anchorage police. Twenty-six of these cuts came from eliminating vacant positions that would provide community policing activities through neighborhoods. 1
- In an Oct. 4, 2003, article, the Anchorage Daily News reported, "At the Police Department, Begich proposes to eliminate 27 vacant positions.
"Police Chief Walt Monegan said the positions were supposed to be filled with community-geared officers to work with community councils, businesses, PTAs and other groups. But the APD has never been able to fill them because of more pressing needs in patrol and investigations, Monegan said." 2
- The article also said, "The city intends to add staff in property assessment and tax collections. With 13 more employees in those areas, the city could bring in an additional $2.4 million." 3,4
Then, during his first term as Mayor, the violent crime rate increased by 45%.
City Of Anchorage Crime Rates Per 100,000 Inhabitants
| Category |
2003 5 |
2006 6 |
Change |
| |
|
|
Rate per 100,000 |
% Change |
| Violent Crime |
643.34 |
933.41 |
290.07 |
45.08 |
| Murder And Non-Negligent Manslaughter |
6.27 |
6.12 |
(0.15) |
(2.39) |
| Forcible Rape |
90.01 |
89.31 |
(0.70) |
(0.78) |
| Robbery |
125.42 |
167.45 |
42.03 |
33.51 |
| Aggravated Assualt |
421.64 |
670.53 |
248.89 |
59.02 |
| Property Crime |
4,318.20 |
4,220.86 |
(97.34) |
(2.25) |
| Burglary |
523.08 |
624.07 |
100.99 |
19.30 |
1 "Reconciliation From 2003 Revised Budget To 2004 Proposed Budget," 2004 Proposed General Government Operating Budget, Oct. 3, 2003
2 Lisa Demer, "Layoffs Pepper Budget Plan," Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 4, 2003
3 Lisa Demer, "Layoffs Pepper Budget Plan," Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 4, 2003
4 "Finance," 2004 Proposed General Government Operating Budget, Oct. 3, 2003
5 Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Index of Crimes - State," Crime in the United States: 2003
6 Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Index of Crimes - State," Crime in the United States: 2006