Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed remains steadfast in his opposition to legislation that would set minimum staffing standards for law enforcement agencies in Montgomery and Huntsville.
During an appearance on Alabama Public Television's "Capitol Journal," Reed insisted the issue wasn't quantity but quality and called the bill sponsored by State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Montgomery) during the 2025 legislative session a "power grab."
"Getting more cops on the street isn't hard, believe it or not," he said. "Getting quality people to serve and protect our communities who have the right mental makeup, the right disposition to respond to a break-in, much less a homicide, but also can deal with something that doesn't need to be de-escalated — someone who is in mental distress, somebody who is having a drug-related issue that doesn't require a heavy-handed approach. It takes a special person to really be on the frontlines of public safety the way so many of our men and women are here in Montgomery and around the state of Alabama."
"So, we wanted to be sure that we didn't seize local control through the legislature based on staffing numbers," Reed continued. "We all want to see the numbers be as high as they can. Everybody feels safe. My mom feels safer. My church members feel safer. My neighbors feel safer. So, we all want to see that, but it has to be done the right way. I believed then, and I believe now, that that was a bad bill. It was a bill that was a power grab, in my opinion, that wasn't needed, in particular, without conversation with fellow State Senator Kirk Hatcher, who represents two-thirds of Montgomery, much less myself. And we said that to Senator [Will] Barfoot."
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
