Three members of the Anchorage Assembly will on Tuesday introduce a new ordinance that would reinstate criminal penalties for unauthorized camping on public property. The effort is meant to address the lawless criminal encampments that have overtaken much of the city.
The proposal, sponsored by Assembly Members Keith McCormick (South Anchorage, Girdwood), Scott Myers, and Jared Goecker (both representing Chugiak, Eagle River, and Birchwood), would amend sections of the Anchorage Municipal Code to classify unlawful camping on public premises as a class B misdemeanor. The ordinance also includes enforcement protocols that aim to comply with recent court rulings, including the US Supreme Court’s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which gives localities the authority to police and abate these encampments.
In 2024, the Assembly debated two previous ordinances that attempted to reintroduce criminal penalties for squatting on public land. One of those ordinances, AO 2024-26, had its criminal provisions stripped before the final version (AO 2024-26(S)) was adopted. Another proposal, AO 2024-39, which retained those penalties, was postponed indefinitely despite strong public testimony in favor of enforcement options beyond simple abatement…