MONTGOMERY — Lawmakers intend to add teeth to proposed legislation mandating every county and municipal law enforcement agency to disclose annually how many officers are on staff, with a special emphasis on Birmingham and Montgomery.
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D–Birmingham) announced last week that she had been asked to carry the bill by House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville). However, before the bill has even received committee consideration, Givan announced on Monday that she was substituting the bill, adding additional requirements and penalties.
The original version of House Bill 287 (HB287) requires county and municipal police departments to submit annual reports on the number of officers on staff to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).
According to Givan, the substitute bill will additionally require the same law enforcement agencies to report crime statistics to ALEA and provide penalties for those who fail to do so. Those statistics will also be made publicly available under the substitute bill.
"There has been an issue in some areas and some communities in which the number of sworn officers is at issue," Givan told reporters. "The question of whether or not you have the need for 200, 33 officers to make your law department ripe or to make it more responsive, vs. needing 700 or 600 officers. We know we have a shortage of officers, but what we do know is, to address that issue properly and to also equip the community with what they need, we must have and know what the true number of sworn law enforcement officers are. And that should never be undisclosable and made such by leadership of any municipality."
Givan's focus for the bill remains on her home city of Birmingham. She has not shied away from criticizing Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin for his perceived failures with the police department. However, other cities, like Montgomery, have faced similar crime and staffing reporting criticism.
During a press conference last year, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed declined to answer how many officers the city had on staff when asked by 1819 News, saying, "I don't think it's good practice for us to release numbers."
RELATED: Montgomery Mayor Reed inconsistent with answers on police department staffing numbers
The crime stat reporting requirement will address speculations that have pervaded both Birmingham and Montgomery.
"ALEA has intimated that it's showing, in their system, only 65 reported deaths from last year in the city of Birmingham," Givan continued.
State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) is a co-sponsor of the bill, which allows the governor and attorney general to appoint interim police chiefs in areas with unmanageable crime. Ingram is fighting for his own legislation allowing the governor and attorney general to appoint an interim police chief in municipalities where crime has gone out of control.
Ingram told 1819 News that ALEA informed him that the city of Montgomery had not reported crime stats to ALEA since Mayor Steven Reed took office.
"I've been told by ALEA that we haven't had a report since Steven [Reed] has been in," Ingram said.
He continued, "I think people that live in a municipality need to know what crime is before they move there. I think they need to know for their kids that are going to that school in that district. I think they need to know what's happening in their municipality just because they want to go out and walk at night or send their wife to the grocery store. Public safety is huge. And, if we're going to retain jobs in Alabama and attract economic development, we got to have a safe environment to work in."
Under the bill's provisions, all funding from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) will be stalled to a county or municipality if the necessary reporting is neglected.
"We will no longer tolerate anyone fudging these numbers for self-promotion," Givan continued. "This is a very serious matter. We are dealing with the lives of people every day. And citizens deserve a right to make decisions for themselves as to where they go knowing that there may not be enough officers."
State Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris), who served in the Birmingham Police Department for over 30 years and retired as its assistant chief, also fully supports the bill.
"Transparency is key," Treadaway said. "These are tax-funded jobs, and there really should be no reason for this type of legislation. But, unfortunately, we're here. And, yeah, each community needs to know – that's funding a police department – just how many sworn personnel they have currently on the force."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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