Alabama lawmakers need to address comprehensive criminal justice reform
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Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
The crime in Alabama has everyone reeling from violence across the state, particularly in places like Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile. However, we have seen criminal acts in rural parts of the state increase, as well.
There are a number of reasons for how dangerous the streets have become. One of the factors is the progressive’s slanderous attacks on law enforcement that have hurt the morale and recruitment of more officers. The defund the police movement has actually led to fewer officers protecting the public, including right here in Alabama. And with fewer men and women on the thin blue line, there are more crimes being committed and less being solved.
In Birmingham alone, the department is at least 300 officers short, and Jefferson County has about 100 fewer deputies than they have had in the past.
This has gotten the attention of state legislators. Lawmakers are proposing a bill that would allow the state to appoint an interim police chief for any department that employs less than 30 percent of the police officers they have had over the past decade. There would also have to be consultation with the local district attorney, sheriff and crime victims.
Of course, a well run police department and more officers will definitely help with the crime problem, but state representatives and senators must also address the lack of truth in sentencing in Alabama’s criminal justice system.
Police can find and arrest the bad guys, but if they are not sentenced to the time they deserve then violent crime will continue. There is example after example of hard work by detectives and prosecutors bringing a killer to justice, to then just have a judge lay down the minimum sentence to someone who should have spent decades or life in prison. You also have legislators who are currently preparing to file bills that would allow for the release of more prisoners from state corrections facilities.
As a matter of fact, some local police departments are turning to U.S. attorneys offices to prosecute gun crimes to ensure the worst of the felons on the streets serve more time in prison. Law enforcement is choosing the federal over the state system as it is more likely those convicted of crimes will serve substantially more of their sentence behind bars.
Thus, state leaders can beef up local police, but they must fix Alabama’s broken sentencing system, as well.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and chair of the Judiciary Committee. He can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco.