Knowing the number of tourists that must pass through here, I was hopeful that Anchorage’s downtown would be a welcoming place.
I was wrong. I never felt fully safe when we were there, always having my street-smarts kick in to move us along whenever danger seemed to show up. There were a some guys here and there who seemed to be sizing us up as we walked by, causing me to walk us a bit faster. Suddenly, carrying that gift shop bag through downtown didn’t seem so smart.
One evening we parked downtown and headed over to see the “Aurora” showing at the Anchorage Center for the Performing Arts. I overheard the usher there chatting with another tourist.
“Anchorage has a great downtown,” he said without much conviction. “Sure, it has it’s problems …,” he continued, never finishing his thought.
The next night we returned downtown to hit the gift shops. At one corner outside of the Performing Arts center we passed two private security guys who had apparently wrestled another guy to the ground, pinning him in a hold and apparently waiting for police to arrive. As Kelly and I marched the kids right past the scene without comment, privately I was wondering where the police were. The whole time we were there I never saw Anchorage Police anywhere downtown. Those private security guards held that guy for longer than I expected. Had Anchorage PD simply ceded downtown to the vagrants and gang members?
Afterward while I was waiting in the gift shop for the rest of the family to buy their things, I mentioned the scene we saw to the owner. “So … do you have a lot of problems downtown?” I asked.
She paused for a split second, as if deciding how much sugar-coating to add. Then with a frown she answered “well, yes.” It’s not violent crime, she assured me, but more robbery-type stuff. A lot of homeless kids were hanging out in the park, she said. I nodded as she went back to her work.
I had checked Anchorage’s crime before we left and it turns out violent crime is an issue here, particularly sexual assault. I had this in mind as Kelly decided to run alone in Anchorage’s Kincaid Park Friday morning. She enjoyed her run and reported no issues but she did choose to steer clear of the wooded sections of the path. Likewise, I did not let Hallie roam alone through the flea market this morning, as much as she might have wanted to.
On Monday, our search for some good local beer gave us an education on Anchorage’s liquor laws. Anyone entering the liquor store needs to show ID, regardless of age. As Kelly returned to the car to fetch hers, two Asian-looking 20-year old men wearing earphones stepped into the store. The clerk who had been chatting casually with me suddenly turned his complete attention to the two men, each of whom had gone to different areas of the store.
Suddenly some kind of “spidey sense” kicked in and the thought entered my mind that these two guys were about to rob the store. One of the guys walked up behind me as I stood near the counter and suddenly I became very uncomfortable.
Stupid me, I thought. This guy could be armed and I had just let him walk up right behind me. I nonchalantly stepped aside so I could see both him and his friend, who was across the store and taking an unusually long time picking out his liquor. “Where was Kelly?” I kept thinking.
The clerk asked the friend in a half-accusing tone if he was looking for anything in particular, at which point they both exited the store. The clerk then turned back to me and with a shrug said “gang.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Those two were gang. I could tell when they walked in. In fact, I’ve even seen them before,” he said as he rang up my purchase. “You see how one tried to distract me while the other was going to steal?”
I bought my beer and thanked the clerk, so happy to be out of there.
I was disappointed to learn later that Anchorage Police cut its only gang intelligence officer position last year
Alaskans are self-sufficient people. Alaskans love their guns. I just thought the reason for those guns was the dangerous wildlife, not the crooks who roam the streets. Anchorage could really be something great but it first needs to get a handle on its crime. I hope the good citizens of Anchorage are up to the challenge.