Anchorage outdoor death toll rises to 50, police say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A shocking 50 people have died outdoors in Anchorage this year, according to the most recent statistics from the Anchorage Police Department.

The latest death came Nov. 18 when a woman was found dead inside a tent in a Russian Jack neighborhood.

“As of now I’m just aware of one since you last inquired,” Renee Oistad, an APD spokesperson, wrote in an email asking for updated numbers.

Anchorage police say that 58-year-old Juliah Dupert was found inside a tent near Debarr Road and Pine Street, where she wasn’t breathing.

“Nothing suspicious was noted at the scene. The Medical Examiner was consulted telephonically; ultimately the body was released to a funeral home,” the department wrote in a case filing.

Anchorage police define an outdoor death as someone who dies outside and has no fixed address. Last year, 24 people died.

In 2021, there were 19 deaths, and in 2020, there were 17 outdoor deaths.

In just the month of November, the Anchorage Fire Department reported 20 emergency calls to the city’s three largest camps at Davis, Cuddy, and Buttress Park areas.

A significant push by the city in recent days to provide hotel rooms as winter shelters has met its share of trouble, as it appears there will not be enough beds for every person who registered for one.

The city dashboard shows open beds only available at three of the nine shelters tracked by the city, with 964 people already reported staying within city shelters.