As a resident of Alabama's capital city, Montgomery, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) is speaking out against the recent escalation in violent crime that has rocked the city and caused more citizens to demand change.
Since the April shooting of Amy Dicks, an innocent woman who was left paralyzed after getting caught in a highway shootout, the city has had several violent events leading to growing concern from the public.
After a mass shooting during a large party that injured 13 last week and bullets striking a government office downtown earlier this week, the governor and state lawmakers are vowing to address the growing crime.
On a Friday appearance on 93.1 "News and Views" with Joey Clark, Britt gave an impassioned analysis of the rising crime and said she is fighting to provide more funding for education and law enforcement.
"My heart is broken for every single family that has been affected, that has been cut short by the onslaught of crime that we have seen, and for me, I mean, this is personal," Britt said. "So. I wanted to live In Montgomery because I love the people here. The People are as good as it gets. I mean, it is a big small town where people are willing to chip in and help you out, where neighbors act like neighbors and communities rally behind good causes."
She continued, "Right now, I am working to get federal funds to support local law enforcement and to help combat crime in communities across our state, and obviously Montgomery being one of those. I believe families here deserve better. I believe parents deserve to know that their children are safe. This is our state capitol. And so, we want visitors to know that they can come here. We want to make sure this community puts our state in the very best light because we are a great state with great people, and we have a great story to tell. And I believe in fighting for opportunity for every single Alabamian, no matter their zip code, no matter where they live in Montgomery, and the best way that we can do that is to give them quality education and to give them an opportunity to grow up with safe streets and strong community. So, I stand ready to be helpful in whatever way possible. I love this city, I love this state, and I believe both are worth fighting for."
Many, if not most, of the victims and perpetrators in the Montgomery shootings are juveniles. Britt suggested the lingering effects of school shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic could be responsible for the number of crimes involving young people.
"I believe that the crime that we are seeing is just unacceptable," Britt continued. "And this stuff starts at home. We've got to make sure the culture of violence and the mental health crisis that's contributing to these things, that we really start to take these things seriously. I mean, you take a look at the fact that we put kids out of school – when I say 'we,' I obviously had no part in that – but when children were sent home for one year, two years and taught [that] you're just going to learn behind a screen. You think about how behind those kids are. They're coming back to school, if we're getting them back to school, I'm sure they are immensely frustrated and challenged and feel like they're never going to catch up. I mean, think about that: the government sent kids home and didn't allow them to learn, grow, and thrive. And education is the great equalizer. Education is how someone has hope for the future. And so, I believe we're seeing a lot of the effects of all of these things."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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