Wow, I had NO idea. Yeah, I always thought Anchorage, and especially Fairbanks, were relatively small and safe. Never been to Alaska. Always been a dream of mine.
Anchorage is over 250,000 population now. Much like any other city of similar size it has the same problems. But a half-hours drive will get you in the boonies and a half-hours flight will get you beyond the road system to areas where you'll rarely see another human.