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Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Anchorage, Alaska
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
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| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Anchorage, Alaska. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how Anchorage handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Discipline can be appealed through the grievance/arbitration procedure within 20 days of the response to the grievance procedure; Selection: Arbitrators are selected on rotational basis from standing panel of arbitrators; Provider: N/A; Arbitrator authority: The arbitrator's decision is bindingAn employee can grieve termination when the association declines to pursue the grievance by notifying the chief of police and the Human Resources Department within three days of notice from the association. | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: City of Anchorage, Police Department; Types: Oral/written reprimand, suspension, discharge, demotion, disciplinary transfer; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: N/AIf incident being investigated may result in civil suit or criminal action, employee may have attorney present at his own cost in addition to union representation. Unless circumstances require otherwise, all internal investigations shall be concluded within 45 days of initiation, with disciplinary decision finalized within 45 days of completion of investigation. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
| Legal limitations or provisions | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the city CBA prohibit felons from becoming law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Are there any statutes or regulations that prohibit collective bargaining with police unions? | NO |
Training and counseling
| Training and counseling | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require or incentivize college or post-secondary education? | YES |
Incentive pay for post-secondary education Allows employees to receive tuition reimbursement for accredited courses at the University of Anchorage or Wayland Baptist University | |
| Does the CBA require or incentivize law enforcement officers to learn first aid skills? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to firearms training? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to training with tasers or other nonlethal weapons? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to learn any martial arts? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to submit to regular psychological counseling/evaluation? | NO |
| Does the state/city CBA require law enforcement officers to do driving training regularly? | NO |
| Does the state/city CBA require law enforcement officers to do driving training regularly? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to take regular mental health training? | NO |
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | YES |
Mentions Community Action Patrol (CAP) | |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Gives steps for investigation but makes no mention of timeline | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: Written notice; Timeline: Must receive notice within 4 days of the complaint being received; Content: Must include the nature of the investigation | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | YES |
Timeline to launch: N/A; Timeline to conclude: 45 days | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: N/A; Storage authority: N/A; Types of records: Oral Reprimand, Written Reprimand, Suspension, including Internal Affairs records; Timeline: "Oral Reprimand, Written Reprimand, Suspension, Demotion or Disciplinary Transfer: One year after the date of imposition of an oral reprimand or written reprimand, and two (2) years after the imposition of a suspension, demotion or disciplinary transfer."; Access and use: not open to public, under Alaska law; Use in decisions: N/A | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | NO |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | YES |
City will notify union in writing of new hires within 14 days of employment | |
See also
Footnotes
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