One by one, the names of more than 400 homicide victims are read once a year at a memorial in downtown Anchorage.
On Thursday, dozens of people gathered to hear that somber roll call at the Homicide Victims Memorial at Hostetler Park on 3rd Avenue and L Street.
"There's a lot of different loss, but homicide is so unexpected, and so traumatic and sudden and it sets itself apart from the rest because it's where you don't have that chance to say goodbye," said Victims for Justice Advocate Rachael Gaedeke.
This past year 18 people didn't have that chance when they became victims of homicide in Anchorage. There have been 11 homicides in Alaska's biggest city to-date, this year. While the numbers may seem alarming, APD says they have not seen an increase.
In fact, the opposite may be true.
According to the Anchorage Police Department, the number of homicides in the past decade show a slight decline.
2012 - 18 homicide cases - 17 solved
2011 - 18 homicide cases - 17 solved
2010 - 19 homicide cases - 15 solved
2009 - 17 homicide cases - 15 solved
2008 - 12 homicide cases - 10 solved
2007 - 25 homicide cases - 23 solved
2006 - 21 homicide cases - 16 solved
2005 - 17 homicide cases - 14 solved
2004 - 20 homicide cases - 20 solved
2003 - 17 homicide cases - 14 solved
2002 - 20 homicide cases - 18 solved
2001 - 16 homicide cases - 15 solved
2000 - 22 homicide cases - 21 solved
"We rarely, in my memory, have ever dropped below 12 and I can't recall going above 24 or so. All crime, including homicides, have been coming down generally for the last 20 years and I think the last couple years homicides may be up a bit, but not up to the 24 mark," said APD Chief Mark Mew.
Mew says he would like to see zero homicide deaths because even one is one too many.
"We would still be here to honor the victims even if there weren't new ones each year, if that makes sense," said Gaedeke. "So it is just nice to be here."
Contact Mallory Peebles