Senate Bill 196 would fund behavioral health responders and stabilize the 988 line, helping law enforcement connect people to care instead of jail.
Social work navigator Tanya Vandenbos, left, and Officer Ruth Adolf, both of Anchorage Police Department’s HOPE Team, speak with campers at Davis Park in Anchorage on May 8, 2025. The Anchorage Police Department strives to create an environment where everybody matters.
We often see community members on their worst day, during incredibly stressful times or when they are in crisis. The people we serve can be struggling with mental illness, substance use or suicidal ideation. Too often, these situations escalate because there are limited alternatives to arrest or emergency detention. But we know there is a better way., a bill that proposes a modest $0.98 monthly surcharge to fund behavioral health crisis services, including the operation and improvement of the 988 crisis line, crisis response teams and related infrastructure. As the chief of the Anchorage Police Department, I strongly support this legislation. Law enforcement needs all the tools available when we are called upon to help. SB 196 ensures surcharge funds are used to support and expand crisis response services statewide, recruit and retain qualified behavioral health professionals, provide culturally competent and community-based care and increase public awareness of available crisis centers. For law enforcement agencies like the Anchorage Police Department, this bill is not just about funding mental health services — it’s about transforming how we respond to people in crisis. Arresting someone in crisis is not always the right answer. It can temporarily remove a person from a dangerous situation, but it rarely addresses the underlying causes of their behavior. Without access to timely behavioral health care, many individuals cycle repeatedly through our jails, emergency rooms and streets. This is costly, ineffective and deeply frustrating for officers who want to help but lack the tools and resources to do so. Passing SB 196 will strengthen our behavioral health crisis system by reducing unnecessary arrests and jail bookings for individuals whose primary issue is their mental health or substance abuse. It will free up police resources to focus on crime prevention and community safety, improve officer safety by providing trained crisis responders who can deescalate volatile situations and connect people to care, reducing repeat calls for service and resulting in a reduction of long-term public safety costs. I am proud of the work the Anchorage Police Department is already doing to reimagine what help in a crisis can look like. We have embedded behavioral health clinicians into our Mobile Intervention Team to work with people who may have an adverse view of law enforcement, need to connect to services or need field social services. Creating an environment where everybody matters is not just a slogan, it is a core belief. To do that, we need to meet people where they are and have the ability to provide robust wraparound services. I strongly encourage the Legislature to pass SB 196 to strengthen our connection to behavioral health services and enhance public safety in Alaska.The Anchorage Daily News welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email
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