After hearing all the horror stories of the homeless epidemic downtown, I’ve avoided it like the plague for several years now. My husband’s job of 18 years is based at the port. Last week, in the 5 a.m. darkness while crossing over the port bridge, driving his 105,000-pound double-tanker truck that has 24 tires, he was one of three vehicles that almost ran over an intoxicated, passed-out person who was in the middle of the road. My husband has been a driver of this truck for 19 citation-free years.
I was, and am still, absolutely livid. Our lives, our marriage and he himself would have been irrevocably changed forever had she been flattened by 12 massive tires. He most likely would have been put on leave during an investigation and court proceedings, most certainly would be in therapy for years and probably would have been too scarred to return to his driving career. He’d be a 55-year-old man taking on a new career until retirement.
I used to be proud of our beautiful city. As a lifelong Alaskan who — previously — enthusiastically welcomed visitors, happy to help with directions and engage in conversation, is not something I’m too keen on continuing. Assuredly, I will avoid eye contact and if I do happen to exchange words with a visitor, I will assuredly feel shame and apologize for the state of our city.
I now work part-time in a beautiful shop in the heart of the notorious 4th Avenue corridor. In the past month we’ve watched inebriates puke on our welcome mat and a woman screaming obscenities at us while simultaneously and repeatedly bashing her large backpack against our large window. Last week, the shop was broken into not once, but brazenly again a few hours later by the same man. Thankfully, there was an image of him that was captured.
He hauled monitors, security screens, the tower, a work iPhone and tablets out in one of our own shop trash cans. The building’s walls are hosed down by one of the leaseholders daily to remove the urine and vomit. Would anyone care to hear about the fecal matter? We have Community Patrol on speed dial; we call them several times a day.
We must have more police foot patrols. I don’t like to endlessly complain unless I feel that I can offer a solution. My suggestion to remedy this infestation of crime and filth? Start citing for every infraction. Public intoxication, trespassing, littering, loitering, urinating and for any drug paraphernalia and take the fines directly out of their PFD. Law-abiding citizens shouldn’t have to pay a hike in taxes to pay for more law enforcement but if that is going to be the case, we’ll gladly pay if that means it will speed up the process of clearing up this plague that’s destroying our once proud, beautiful city. It’s time to take our city back.
— Lindsay (Marsh) Berke
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.