Anchorage

Group of volunteers seeks to curb Anchorage's violent crime

Eight volunteers who make up the recently formed community action group We Are Anchorage gathered Monday morning in the parking lot of a Mountain View grocery store, encouraging others to help foster safety in the city.

An exchange of phone calls among the group's core members followed the spate of gun violence in Anchorage through the month of January. Those conversations spurred the creation of We Are Anchorage, which has also organized a mayoral candidate's forum set for March 12 at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

"The group formed to address the increase in violence in our community," said volunteer Miriam Aarons. "We thought (the candidate forum) was a good starting point. I personally don't know who I'm voting for, so it will be great to engage some of those candidates."

Aarons works as the communications director for Bering Straits Native Corp. She said her employer supports her involvement with the group. The group's members are professionally diverse, and include a local disc jockey, a UAA psychology professor and the manager of an East Anchorage mall.

The group is finding its footing, members said. Ideas about community engagement are front and center.

The Anchorage Police Department participated in setting up the mayoral forum, and a block party is a possibility in the future, Aarons said.

Melissa Emmal, deputy director of Abused Women's Aid in Crisis, said one of We Are Anchorage's major questions is how the public perceives violent crime in the city.

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"People who come into this community through family and friends, through a workplace, what would they say about the violence?" Emmal said. "Would they view that it's not tolerated or that it's typical? Unfortunately, right now they would likely say that violence is the norm."

Gun violence is pervasive, she said, and people don't know how they can get involved in crime awareness and prevention.

APD Chief Mark Mew said in late January there were 31 credible reports of gunfire for the month, more than double the number of the two previous years. He announced the creation of a temporary task force aimed at suppressing those crimes.

APD communications director Jennifer Castro said the task force seized 35 guns and made 18 arrests in its first week. She said the lieutenant in charge of the task force was not available for comment Monday.

We Are Anchorage member George Martinez has traveled the world as founder of his nonprofit Global Block, attempting to help children and young men and women who are swept up in violent crime.

Alaska is unique, Martinez said. The state's residents experience social isolation differently than Outside communities.

In mid-February, Martinez was involved in an event organized by the local chapter of the NAACP, "I've Got Something to Say." Kids wrote suggestions on a wall now on display at Northway Mall. Most lamented that there weren't enough activities to get involved in, he said.

"That's especially true for kids who have graduated from high school, can no longer go to the Boys and Girls club, and are now in the job-seekers pool," Martinez said. "They're socially isolated and don't have spaces to feel safe and express themselves."

Psychology professor E.J. David said We Are Anchorage is not the typical, hierarchical group trying to curb violence. He encouraged people to get in touch with the group and participate in the ongoing discussion.

David's students have discussed the city's recent rash of violence during class. They have more questions than answers, but the teacher said involvement from people on the ground is needed.

"The decisions can't come solely from the top. They have to hear from people like students to address the issues affectively."

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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