Anchorage, Alaska Launches Task Force to Tackle Retail Crime

State and city prosecutors team up to aggressively prosecute serious shoplifting cases

Feb. 3, 2026 at 5:47am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Prosecutors in Anchorage, Alaska are partnering with state attorneys to create a new task force focused on cracking down on retail theft and other "quality of life" crimes. The initiative will allow city and state lawyers to cross-designate and jointly prosecute more serious felony-level shoplifting cases that have gone largely unenforced in recent years due to court backlogs and staffing shortages.

Why it matters

Retail theft has had a significant impact on businesses and residents in Anchorage, with shoplifting leading to higher prices, diminished shopping experiences, and the closure of some stores. The new task force aims to target repeat offenders and pursue more substantial charges and sentences to address this growing problem.

The details

Under the new agreement, the Alaska Department of Law will provide two prosecutors and a supervisor to work alongside two lawyers from the Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor's Office. This "cross-designation" will allow the team to charge both state and city-level offenses, enabling them to pursue more serious felony charges for egregious cases of retail theft. Previously, the state had largely stopped taking on felony shoplifting cases, leaving the city to handle only lower-level misdemeanors.

  • The new Quality of Life Initiative was announced in January 2026.
  • The memorandum of understanding between the state and city was signed on January 8, 2026.

The players

Mike Dunleavy

The Governor of Alaska, who spoke about the Quality of Life Initiative in his final State of the State address.

Stephen Cox

The Alaska Attorney General, who signed the memorandum of understanding with the Anchorage Municipal Attorney.

Eva Gardner

The Municipal Attorney for the Municipality of Anchorage.

Suzanne LaFrance

The Mayor of Anchorage, who announced the new partnership in a written statement.

John Skidmore

The senior litigation counsel within the state law department's Office of Special Prosecutions, who will be heading up the new initiative.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The goal is to put the resources where the data says the resources are needed. The data says the focus needs to be in Anchorage, and that's why we've partnered with the municipality on these initiatives.”

— Mike Dunleavy, Governor of Alaska

“Our new partnership will focus our collective resources on specific public safety priorities, including retail theft, drug interdiction, domestic violence and sexual assault.”

— Suzanne LaFrance, Mayor of Anchorage

“We're targeting these repeated retail theft cases. I think the vast majority of the conduct is done by a very small percentage of people.”

— John Skidmore, Senior Litigation Counsel, Office of Special Prosecutions

What’s next

The new task force is expected to begin operations in the coming months, with the goal of more aggressively prosecuting serious retail theft cases in Anchorage.

The takeaway

This partnership between state and city prosecutors represents a collaborative approach to addressing the growing problem of retail crime in Anchorage. By pooling resources and expanding the ability to pursue felony charges, the task force aims to hold repeat offenders accountable and deter future incidents, ultimately improving the quality of life for Anchorage residents and businesses.