Anchorage Assembly postpones confirmation hearing for appointed police chief

A hearing to confirm newly appointed Anchorage Police Chief Bianca Cross to the Assembly will not take place until July, when the new mayoral administration takes office.

A confirmation hearing for Cross scheduled for Friday was canceled. It will be held in July, after Mayor-elect Suzanne LaFrance takes office on July 1, Assembly Chairman Chris Constant said.

“At this point, it makes no sense to confirm a nominee of the outgoing mayor,” Constant said Friday. “That’s really a question for the incoming mayor.”

When asked if she would continue with Cross as APD chief, LaFrance said in a statement Friday that the “decision regarding the timing of a confirmation hearing will be made by the Assembly.”

“I had the opportunity to sit down with Chief Cross earlier this week and discuss the department and priorities for safety in Anchorage,” the statement said. “Public safety is the most important responsibility of local government and I am grateful for the work they do.”

LaFrance also said she is “thinking deeply about the team that will improve the work of local government and make Anchorage safer” and will “share more in the coming weeks.”

Outgoing Mayor Dave Bronson appointed Cross as police chief in April. Cross, who has been on the force for 27 years, is the first woman in the city’s history to lead the Anchorage Police Department.