The Anchorage Police Department said 62-year-old Bertha Nesbit died after she was hit by a Ford Escape on Muldoon Road on Friday night.
Alaska Corrections
Monitoring the Alaska Department of Corrections, prison and jail conditions, inmate population, staffing, policy, and criminal justice developments statewide.
Intelligence Brief
A recent string of sexual assault convictions involving correctional officers has heightened scrutiny of Alaska's correctional facilities.
Executive Summary
The Alaska Department of Corrections is under increased scrutiny following the conviction of corrections officer Fredrick Fangonilo for the sexual assault of a female inmate at Kodiak Jail. This incident has spotlighted ongoing concerns about inmate safety and the adequacy of oversight mechanisms in Alaskan correctional facilities. Additionally, broader issues of public safety and police oversight remain prominent as the Anchorage Police Department faces calls for increased civilian oversight following an audit of its use of force.
Main Themes
- Correctional officer misconduct
- Calls for police oversight
- Crime rate fluctuations
What Changed
New pressure has emerged on both the correctional facilities due to officer misconduct and police oversight in Anchorage following audit revelations.
Narrative Frames
Conviction of Fredrick Fangonilo highlights ongoing issues with correctional officer misconduct.
Recent audits of Anchorage Police force underscoring calls for oversight have started to gain traction.
Emerging Angles
- Victim advocacy in correctional facilities
- Civilian oversight expansion for police
Consensus
- There is a need for greater oversight and accountability in Alaskan correctional facilities.
- Anchorage's rising crime rate, particularly violent crime, demands strategic interventions.
Disagreement
- Appropriate measures for addressing correctional officer misconduct.
- The role and extent of civilian oversight in police practices.
Coverage Asymmetries
- Focused on Anchorage law enforcement challenges and less on rural disturbances.
- Intense local coverage of specific misconduct cases, lacking broader comparative analysis.
Watch Items
- Implementation and impact of new oversight measures in correctional facilities.
- Responses from Anchorage Assembly concerning police use of force audit recommendations.
Sentiment / Tone
Coverage exhibits a procedural tone, reflecting on policy implementations and community responses to the misconduct cases and police audit findings.
Article Stream
50 articlesThe defendant faces two to 12 years in prison at a February 2027 hearing
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(Kodiak, AK) – Tuesday, following a week-and-a-half long trial, a jury found 27-year-old Fredrick Fangonilo guilty of Sexual Assault in the Third Degree. The evidence at the trial established that Fangonilo was employed as a Corrections Off…
The man was struck in the area of East 15th Avenue and Medfra Street on Tuesday morning, the Anchorage Police Department said.
The Wasilla Police Department and Alaska State Troopers are announcing the following closures ahead of President Trump’s event in Wasilla on October 13, 2026. Road Closures: Clapp Street, Beacon Street, and Aviation Avenue will be closed fr…
Anchorage police said in a court document filed this week that Michael J. Reynolds, 32, shot four men from behind in an alley behind Chilkoot Charlie’s after the bar had closed.
PERJURY LIES AND CORRUPTION IN FAIRBANKS ALASKA OH THE EVIDENCE COME WITH JUICE
(Anchorage, AK) – On Sept. 29, 2026, The Office of Special Prosecutions completed its review of an officer involved shooting incident from July 7, 2026, involving Alaska State Troopers Sgt. Brent Hatch and Thomas Aquino in Fairbanks. After …
By Diana Haecker The Alaska State Troopers are investigating the death of 40-year-old Lorraine M. Saccheus in Elim. According to a trooper dispatch, on September 26, 2026, at 12:50 a.m., a health aide in Elim reported that Saccheus wa…
Chang Thao killed Pa Le Her on Monday afternoon at Reflections Lake before he died by suicide, Alaska State Troopers said.
On Friday, at approximately 11:42 a.m., the Alaska State Troopers received an assault report from the village of Napaskiak. A Napaskiak Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) responded to the initial report and began investigating the inciden…
Daniel Gunderson, 47, was shot multiple times by his 16-year-old child on Saturday, Alaska State Troopers said Monday.
The shooting took place in an alley behind Chilkoot Charlie’s after the bar closed at 3 a.m., said Doran Powell, one of the watering hole’s owners.
The Alaska Court System is now offering automatic reminders by text message for people with upcoming court hearings, part of an effort to reduce the number of missed appearances.
Alaska State Troopers said the 59-year-old Akiachak man was found near his boat in the Kuskokwim River.
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guard Airmen of the 176th Wing rescued four hunters in two missions during a single sortie on Sept. 18 in Arctic Alaska. The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at JBER opened th…
The Alaska Court System is now offering automatic reminders by text message for people with upcoming court hearings, part of an effort to reduce the number of missed appearances.
Reggie Peterson and James Cockrell talk in front of one of the new kootéeyaa, or totem pole, outside of the Alaska State Troopers Public Safety Training Academy. (KCAW/Salemo) Two kootéeyaa, or totem poles, were unveiled outside of the …
Six hours. It took the Alaska State Troopers six hours on Sunday before they notified the federal authorities responsible for Search and Rescue operations at sea, when it was abundantly clear that a fishing vessel missing off St. Lawrence I…
The Alaska Court System is now offering automatic reminders by text message for people with upcoming court hearings, part of an effort to reduce the number of missed appearances. The court system announced the service Wednesday. State court…
The Anchorage Police Department on Thursday identified four officers they say shot a suspected carjacker.
Photo: Anchorage Assemblyman Keith McCormick raised questions Tuesday night about at least one reported use... The post Anchorage police admit drone deployment was omitted from required public report appeared first on Alaska Story .
A Fairbanks woman died on Monday after falling from her horse into Wood River near Snow Mountain Gulch, according to an online report from the Alaska State Troopers.
Following a ruling by the Alaska Court of Appeals, the Alaska Department of Law has dropped criminal charges against 11 American Samoan residents of Whittier who were accused of illegal voting. American Samoans are U.S. nationals but not ci…
People in the area described an extended police and SWAT response in the 1900 block of East 37th Avenue.
The Alaska Court of Appeals rejected the state’s interpretation and held the statute requires something more: proof that the defendant acted with a “consciousness of wrongdoing” when deliberately making the false sworn statement.
On August 27, the Anchorage Police Department, pursuant to a warrant, arrested 39-year-old Silia “Letty” Tuimavave for assault with a weapon and sent the case to the State District Attorney’s Office for felony prosecution, but it was …
The Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions said three officers who shot and killed 33-year-old Emil McCord in May after he pointed a gun at them will not face charges in connection to the incident.
The sweeping audit released last week found the Anchorage Police Department documented use-of-force rates higher than other large Northwest departments.
The driver of a Jeep Cherokee fled after colliding with the motorcycle Friday night in Government Hill, according to the Anchorage Police Department.
JUNEAU — The Coast Guard is searching for three people aboard an 18-foot fishing vessel near St. Lawrence Island. Coast Guard Arctic District Command Center watchstanders were notified of the overdue vessel by the Alaska State Troopers at …
Police were called to North Post Road between Sitka and Wrangell streets Friday night after a Jeep Cherokee and motorcycle collided.
On last Sunday. at about 5:30 pm, Alaska State Troopers responded to a Fairbanks residence regarding a reported mental health crisis. During the course of the investigation, Troopers learned that the caller, Charlie Reich III, had assaulte…
A three-judge panel of the Alaska Court of Appeals ruled Friday that state prosecutors misled grand jurors who indicted a Whittier resident for allegedly voting illegally. Had jurors received accurate information, the court said, “the grand…
The audit, which covered a 4 1/2 year period, found the department’s tally of use-of-force incidents was higher than Seattle, Portland or New Orleans.
The Department of Public Safety has released the 2025 Crime in Alaska Report, its annual publication detailing crimes reported in Alaska. In 2025, the total number of offenses reported increased 7.2% from 2024; however since 2018, crime has…
While there are no Flock cameras in Alaska, residents are pushing for checks on police policies.
Anchorage police on Monday released little additional information about Saturday’s night incident.
The driver suffered injuries described as not life-threatening, Anchorage police said.
An Anchorage pilot and three California residents were on the Piper PA-24 that crashed Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
On Monday, at about 10 p.m., the Klawock Police Department asked for help from the Alaska State Troopers after a juvenile barricaded himself inside a residence and began actively firing a rifle at law enforcement officers. Klawock Police ha…
On Wednesday, at approximately 1:18 p.m., it was reported to the Alaska State Troopers that a small plane had crashed in Seldovia Slough. State Troopers and Wildlife Troopers from Anchor Point responded to the scene aboard the P/V Augustine…
The Piper PA-24 departed from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage on Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
By SUZANNE DOWNING Aug. 26, 2026 – Reported offenses remain nearly 37% below 2018 levels,... The post Alaska crime rises 7.2%, with Anchorage driving statewide increase appeared first on Alaska Story .
The Anchorage Police Department is investigating a fraud ring that used stolen credit and debit card information to make unauthorized purchases at several unrelated retailers. If you notice a charge you didn’t authorize from March – …
Alaska State Troopers said they plan to name all of the victims once the state medical examiner completes identification.
On Last Tuesday August 18 at about 1:30 in the afternoon, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) responded to a multi-unit residential facility in the 200 block of East 9th Avenue following reports of an armed, suicidal adult female. Respond…
Police said they were called to the intersection of the Seward Highway and Benson Boulevard at about 1:20 a.m. Saturday after an SUV struck a woman and did not stop.
On Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers recovered a 2017 Dodge Durango that had been reported stolen from a residence on Charlotte Lane in Fairbanks after investigators discovered the vehicle was being advertised online for sale as parts. Troop…