I'd say Australia is ahead of the US despite perhaps less that great results in their government gun buy back program. The people of Australia and their government have admitted their country has a problem and is past step one: denial. Healing can begin once this stage is past even if it is slow and ponderous at first. America is still in denial.
Why should Anchorage care about any of this? The problem is bigger that your think. So get your pencils out and work this math. Who has the bigger problem with murder? Anchorage with a population of about 300,000 souls and 25 murders? Or New York City with a population of 8,500,000 souls and 275 murders? Might be easier not to think about it. It's the same in lots of communities and the US has lots of communities....