State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) recently filed legislation, at the request of House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville), requiring every county and municipal law enforcement agency to disclose annually how many officers are on staff.
House Bill 287 (HB287) would require: "Not later than February 1, annually, each county and municipal law enforcement agency shall report, on a form prescribed by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency [ALEA], the number of sworn law enforcement officers certified by the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission who are employed by the agency."
The bill does not explicitly mention if that data would be available to the public without filing a formal request. The reports would be submitted to ALEA and the attorney general's office.
Givan said if there were enough officers patrolling areas with high gun violence, those areas might see a decline in violent crime and murders.
"Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter honored me by asking that I sponsor and guide this bill through the Legislature," Givan said. "All you have to do is look at the high rate of gun violence and related deaths in some of our major cities to realize that mayors and other elected officials aren't being honest with citizens about how many officers they have, especially those patrolling the streets."
Determining precise police staffing numbers has been a contentious issue in Alabama, specifically in metro areas.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, whom Givan is challenging for the seat in the next municipal elections, has been frequently criticized for the police department's lackluster staffing.
Additionally, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has flat-out refused to tell the press or public how many officers are staffed at the police department.
Last year, Reed was asked by 1819 News how many officers were on staff at the police department.
"I've said this before: I don't think it's good practice for us to release numbers," Reed responded.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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