Why is Alaska so dangerous? Our focus today is on Alaska. This state in the extreme northwest of North America is a semi-exclave of the U.S. Sharing borders with British Columbia and Yukon in Canada, Alaska is one of the earth’s most beautiful and unspoiled places. It is full of coastal mountains and vast unspoiled tundras with ice fields and rivers teaming with fish. Unfortunately, despite the idyllic nature of this state, life in Alaska is not without its peculiar challenges. We are standing with Alaskans as we access their safety and collective sense of safety. This video will attempt to answer the question, Why is Alaska so dangerous? Please note you will have the opportunity to share your own opinion after watching this video.
Is Alaska Really Dangerous?
The question in this video isn’t about whether or not Alaska is dangerous. There’s no such question. Facts and figures are explicit on that. As far back as 1985, the state has been consistently in the news for the wrong reasons. That year, a Chicago Tribune article reported that the state had the third-highest per capita murder rate in the United States. In 2008, a total of 24,576 crimes were reported in Alaska. This included 27 murders, 445 rapes, and 20,097 property crimes. Then, in 2014, the state experienced 25,018 crimes including 41 murders, 555 rapes, and 20,334 property crimes. And in 2019, it received reports of 27,811 crimes, including 70 murders, 1,101 rapes, and 21,469 property crimes.
One high-profile crime that occurred in 2016 is an example of how unsafe the state is. James Dale Ritchie killed not less than 5 people and wounded, at least, one police officer in Anchorage in the state. Meanwhile, capital punishment isn’t applied in Alaska. Prior to its statehood, it had been abolished by the territorial legislature. These are just parts of the proof the 49th state that was admitted to the Union in 1959 is dangerous. Now let’s go into the reasons why the state that has the Pacific Ocean to the south and southwest is dangerous.
High Violent Crime Rates
Since 2018 about 400 people a year have been succumbing to an untimely death, mostly from violent crimes in the state, making it the nation’s second most deadly state. Crime data for Alaska in 2021 from one source show that 49 individuals were murdered in the state. A total of 1,132 rapes, 712 robberies, and 4233 assaults were also reported. To help you appreciate the gravity of this, consider its rate per 1,000 residents. Based on the figures we just gave you about the state’s population, the rate of murder is 7 per 1,000, rape 1.54 per 1,000, robbery 0.97, and assault 5.77 per 1,000. These are higher than the U.S. rates of 7, 0.4, 0.7, and 2.8 respectively.
There’s little deterrent for crime in the state as you can see from what we said earlier. However, this is even more complicated by the fact that many villages and towns in the state lack any law enforcement as they don’t have their own police forces. In case a resident witnesses a crime or becomes a victim, the only option of reporting is to find the closest location to call and find out if they have enforcement officers to come to his aid. Even when you’re able to report a crime, you have to wait for the arrival of the Alaska State Troopers which can take hours due to long distances and difficult terrain.
Associate Attorney General Tony West once complained to The Washington Post that there are rural places in Alaska where a woman can be raped or a child be abused while the victim won’t get any help, whatsoever. West added that if help would come at all, it might take 36 hours before the earliest responders show up at the scene or respond to a call for help after the crime is committed. Just imagine, you were a victim of violence and no one is there to help as a weather condition that doesn’t allow you to get out of your community and that prevents any responder from coming.


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