Although Alaska leads the nation in the number of violent crimes per capita, authorities reported a steep drop in crime in Alaska in 2020.
According to the Crime in Alaska 2020 report released by the Alaska Department of Public Safety in September 2021, Alaska’s overall crime rate fell by 18.5% last year as the coronavirus pandemic continued to grip the nation. The total number of reported violent crimes decreased by 3.7% and the number of property crimes decreased by 22.9%, the lowest total number of reported property offenses since 1974.
Alaska reported 48 homicides in 2020, a decrease of 31.4% from the prior year. The murder rate per 100,000 persons decreased 31.4% between 2019 and 2020.
Nationally, the murder rate increased by nearly 30% from the prior year, an unprecedented spike. According to the FBI, there were 9,630 homicides in the United States, the largest single-year increase in the murder rate since the agency began tracking these crimes in the 1960s.
One category of violent crime that did not decrease in Alaska in 2020: rape. The rate went from 151.2 to 154.8 per 100,000 people, according to the FBI.
The actual figure is likely higher since many victims of rape and sexual assault never contact law enforcement, a situation exacerbated by Covid lockdowns. Domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) agencies have reported an increase in services and calls since the pandemic began. With the public largely isolated from third-party mandated reporters, such as school teachers and nurses, advocates estimate that DV and SA numbers are much higher than official numbers.
Alaska’s violent crime rate of 838 incidents for every 100,000 people makes Alaska the most violent state in the nation. The vast majority of violent crimes reported in Alaska in 2020 — 69% — were aggravated assault.
Thefts during the last several years have soared, while the reporting of these has shown a decline. Cleverly, “decriminalization” of thefts produces lower statistics of incidents, even as drug addiction causes thefts from hard working people. Cynically, this being exploited for “propaganda purposes”(an unfortunately fitting term) as insurance rates escalate. The lower incarceration reduces state’s costs as the very time the public impact is the highest. Addiction brings homelessness, mental health issues, home invasions, public health issues such as discarded hypodermic needles in public parks, and much more. Those reporting thefts find themselves in danger as witnesses. The rural and suburban areas suffer in their isolation. Armed bandits with winches strapped to trucks tear down, move in, and more off. There seems to be no political will to uphold the law as the Court systems do not seem to apply the law. We are in dark times (March 2022).
This was very helpful for a research project!