Command staff

Chief of Police - michael kerle

Chief Michael Kerle took office on February 1, 2022. He began his law enforcement career in 1996 when he joined APD as a recruit in the Academy. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in February of 2020.

Chief Kerle was born and raised in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He traveled the world with United States Army as a commissioned officer before settling in Alaska in 1995 to be closer to his wife’s family.

Over the course of his 20 plus year career at APD, he has held positions in the Patrol Division, Special Operations, and Crime Suppression.

Chief Kerle has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the State of New York, is a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership Graduate Program and the Administrative Officer’s Course from the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, the FBI Hazardous Devices Executive Management School and the SWAT Commander’s School. 

Chief Kerle and his wife Grace have been married since 1994.

Deputy chief - sean case

Deputy Chief Sean Case has been in law enforcement for over 20 years starting his career with the Los Angeles Police Department. While serving with the Anchorage Police Department, he has held various roles including SWAT operator, K9 handler, School Resource Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Internal Affairs Investigator and Commander, Patrol Shift Commander, and the Captain of the Patrol, Inspection, and Administration Divisions. Deputy Chief Case has a master’s degree in Criminology from Indiana State University, a master’s degree in the Psychology of Leadership from Pennsylvania State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He currently conducts training nationally on critical issues including use of force and force investigations, internal affairs operations, and documenting and evaluating training. Deputy Chief Case has worked with multiple police departments across the country developing effective and impartial police policies. He is a board member of a non-profit victims advocate group.

He oversees Emergency Communications Center (911), Records Unit, Police Training and Recruiting, Property & Evidence, Internal Affairs, IT, Payroll, Personnel, and Grant, Resource, Fiscal Management, as well as Crime Suppression (Special Operations, CAP, SROs, Traffic Unit, IDEU, Vice/HITDA), Patrol, and Detectives (Property Crimes, Violent Crimes, Sex Crimes).

Thank you from the Chief of Police

Thank you to the members of our community who recognize and greatly appreciate, the sacrifice and dedication of our police officers, and their willingness to put their lives on the line to protect others.  Strong relationships of mutual trust between the police agencies and the communities they serve are critical to maintaining public safety and effective policing.  To those members of the community that are hesitant or reluctant to trust or work with our department, let us communicate through fact based dialogue to resolve our differences in order for all members of our community to feel safe and build on the future through mutual cooperation.

Thank you to all men and women who work for the Anchorage Police Department.  We have some of the finest professionals in law enforcement here at our department.  Working at the police department is about service to others.  Our sworn and non-sworn personnel love the community we serve and selflessly work to make the community safer and a great place to live.  It is my privilege to lead this department going forward.

command staff