Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

September 16, 2020

In this issue:

• Anchorage Crime Data

• AnchorRIDES Offers New Grocery Delivery Program

• Fall Newsletter

• One-Stop Shop for All Coronavirus Relief Fund Information

• Pandemic Food Relief

• Community Events

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The Anchorage Police Department recently reported crime statistics that show positive steps in our work to improve public safety. Improving public safety and making wise use of our public safety resources are the keys to effective criminal justice policy in our community and across Alaska.

Anchorage Crime Data

In an Anchorage Daily News opinion piece published on Sunday, I discussed APD's recently reported crime statistics and the work public safety officials, the Legislature and community stakeholders have done to make wise use of our public safety resources.

APD compared the first half of 2020 with the same time frame in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and this year. APD has seen calls for service decrease across the board for theft, stolen vehicles, burglary, vandalism and shoplifting. Reports of assault declined from 1,619 calls for the first six months of 2019 to 1,508 calls in the first six months of 2020, and calls for sex assault decreased from 349 to 260 in the same period.

According to Police Chief Justin Doll, the most significant change is the Anchorage homicide rate, which had 18 homicide victims between Jan. 1 and July 15, 2019, and only five homicide victims in Anchorage over the same period in 2020. Chief Doll also explained that these downward trends began in 2019, before diagnosis of the first coronavirus cases in China.

AnchorRIDES Offers New Grocery Delivery Program

The Municipality of Anchorage’s Public Transportation Department (PTD) announced a new grocery delivery service for senior citizens, age 60 and over, and for people who have disabilities that prevent them from using People Mover buses.

Starting Wednesday, September 9, people will be able to arrange for AnchorRIDES buses to pick up their orders of groceries, essential household items, and pet supplies from participating stores that offer curbside pickup. AnchorRIDES buses will deliver these items to their homes.

The service is free for customers age 60 and over through funding from an Alaska State Department of Health and Social Services grant. The service will cost $3.50 - $5.50 for all other eligible riders within the AnchorRIDES service area, depending on where they live. Pick-up times need to be scheduled one to seven days in advance.

To participate, customers must be eligible and enrolled in the AnchorRIDES program. To determine eligibility or to enroll, people should contact the AnchorRIDES Eligibility Office at 907-343-6543, option 2. For more information and a list of participating stores visit AnchorRIDES.org.

Fall Newsletter

Don't forget to take a look at our Fall Newsletter! Topics include:

Voting and Voting Deadlines
Absentee Ballots
Passed Legislation including: Pioneer Homes Rates, Insurance Coverage for Telehealth, Unemployment Benefits for COVID-19, Protective Orders, Electronic Documents & Notarizations, and Crisis Intervention Centers.

Click here to view our online version.

One-Stop Shop for All Coronavirus Relief Fund Information

The Anchorage Assembly recently transitioned the website dedicated to programs funded by the Coronavirus Relief Fund to a one-stop shop, making available all plans concerning funding allocations. The website is also a place for the community to connect with resources for rental and mortgage assistance, small business and nonprofit relief, and more.

The Municipality will update pages as new programs become available and will include links to resources such as applications for grant assistance or job programs.

Pandemic Food Relief

Did your family have unexpected expenses as a result of lost school meals this spring? If so, you may qualify for Pandemic Food Relief.

Many Alaskan families are eligible for up to $458 per child, which will be loaded onto an EBT card that can be used to purchase groceries. According to the Food Bank of Alaska, and the final deadline to apply is September 30.

For more information, click here.

Community Events

Mark your calendars for this upcoming event:

Housing and Homeless Town Hall Series: Part 3

The Anchorage Home Builder’s Association (AHBA) and the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) will partner with the Seawolf Speech and Debate Program, and Anchorage Daily News to host four live-streamed candidate town hall discussions for the upcoming state elections. These events were made possible with support from Rasmuson Foundation, the Atwood Foundation, and Northrim Bank.

This forum is intended to be a neutral platform for candidates to discuss their perspectives and policy goals on the suite of issues pertaining to housing and homelessness in Anchorage. It is an opportunity to share information with the community on the systemic challenges to residential development, housing affordability, and addressing homelessness.

The September 24 event is for West and Southwest Anchorage: Senate Districts K (West Anchorage, Sand Lake, Dimond, Oceanview) and House Districts - 21, 22, 23, 24.

When: Thursday, September 24 from 6:00 — 7:30 PM

Where: Facebook Live

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.