PoliticsAnchorage · August 26, 2026
750 cameras and one vote
Anchorage police want a 600,000 dollar camera network tying 750 feeds together, and three Assembly members want privacy rules locked in first.
Daily Alaska staff · August 26, 2026 · Anchorage
The Anchorage Police Department is asking the Anchorage Assembly to approve a 600,000 dollar contract with the tech company ThunderCat to build a Real-Time Crime Center that would connect up to 750 cameras, including more than 250 municipal traffic cameras, officer-worn cameras, drone cameras and private security cameras, along with license plate reader technology. The money would come from federal and state fine and forfeiture funds, not property taxes.
Assembly members Keith McCormick, Daniel Volland and Sydney Scout have introduced a companion privacy ordinance. It would delete camera footage after two weeks unless it is tied to an active investigation, restrict license plate readers to traffic enforcement and justified searches such as a missing child or a stolen vehicle, require a warrant before sharing data with federal agencies like DHS, and require Assembly approval before any artificial intelligence is added to the system.
Police Chief Sean Case has said the Real-Time Crime Center would operate as a separate entity from dispatch.
Both the camera contract and the privacy ordinance go before the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday, September 1.
In this story
Questions people ask
How much does Anchorage police want to spend on the camera system?
The Anchorage Police Department is seeking a $600,000 contract with ThunderCat to link up to 750 cameras and license plate readers into a Real-Time Crime Center.
What privacy rules are being proposed?
Assembly members Keith McCormick, Daniel Volland and Sydney Scout proposed deleting footage after two weeks unless it's tied to an active case.
When does the Assembly vote on the camera system?
The Assembly takes up both the contract and the privacy ordinance on Tuesday, September 1.
Where does the money for this come from?
The funding comes from federal and state fine and forfeiture funds, not property taxes.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- Anchorage police are seeking a 600,000 dollar contract with ThunderCat to build a Real-Time Crime Center linking up to 750 cameras. · alaskapublic.org
- More than 250 municipal traffic cameras are already up on Anchorage streets and would be part of the system. · alaskapublic.org
- Assembly members Keith McCormick, Daniel Volland and Sydney Scout introduced a privacy ordinance that would delete footage after two weeks unless tied to an active case. · alaskapublic.org
- The funding for the camera upgrade comes from federal and state fine and forfeiture funds, not property taxes. · alaskapublic.org
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