The heart of public safety: Investing in law enforcement for a safer Alabama
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Op-ed By House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter
As National Police Week comes to a close, we should celebrate the fact that the Legislature has taken historic steps this session to show our appreciation to these extraordinary men and women, support local recruitment and retention efforts, and bolster public safety as a whole in our great state with the Safe Alabama Package.
One initiative I’m proud to have helped assemble is the Law Enforcement Dependent Scholarship Act, sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway (R–Morris), former Assistant Chief of the Birmingham Police Department.
What is often forgotten is that behind every badge is a family who depends on the man or woman who wears it. Our LEOs are husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers who go to work every day to protect their communities and provide for their families.
This legislation aims to help these dedicated public servants put their children and spouses through college or tech school by providing a last-dollar scholarship. What this means is that after a dependent exhausts his or her federal grant and scholarship support, this program would cover the remaining costs up to $3,000.
The House passed the bill in February, but unfortunately, the Senate did not take it up. Still, it remains a top priority and will return next session with strong support from those who stand with law enforcement families.
Another piece of legislation that I feel was long overdue deals with putting an end to anti-police legal actions once and for all.
I have met with numerous law enforcement experts over the last 14 months, and one concern they all share is that our LEOs are becoming more and more hesitant to act within the scope of their authority because of fear of being hit with a frivolous civil lawsuit or criminal investigation.
Simply put, many do not feel like they are backed and supported enough to enforce the full letter of the law.
The Back the Blue Protection Act puts an end to this in Alabama and shows them that we have their backs by offering stronger legal protections for officers acting within the bounds of clearly established law.
The bottom line is that LEOs should not have to worry about winding up in the courtroom for doing their job and protecting the community.
Rep. Rex Reynolds (R–Huntsville) sponsored this legislation and fought every step of the way to ensure it made it across the finish line.
Public safety is the most critical component of a successful community, and sadly, we have areas in our state that are struggling with violent crime.
Over the last year, a task force comprised of city, county, state, and federal law enforcement has worked cohesively to elevate the presence of law enforcement in the River Region and proactively police.
The Montgomery Area Crime Suppression Unit has conducted 2,700 traffic stops, served 875 arrest warrants (ranging from Failure to Appear to Capital Murder), and made 352 other arrests, including 29 juveniles. They executed 20 search warrants, seized 64 drug stashes, 239 firearms, 164 machine gun conversion devices, and about $86,500 in cash. The unit also recovered 61 stolen vehicles, engaged in 86 pursuits, and seized two vehicles.
The unit has made an enormous impact – so much so that the Legislature has provided funding to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to make this a full-time, statewide unit known as the Alabama Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit.
This unit will have 23 dedicated troopers who are authorized to go into communities and work with local agencies to identify where violent crimes are occurring and aggressively pursue suspects.
Each one of these bills is the result of partnerships and would not have been possible without leaders like Governor Kay Ivey, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor, Montgomery Sheriff Derrick Cunningham, Alabama Sheriffs Association President Hoss Mack, and our numerous House members with law enforcement backgrounds who came to the table and identified positive steps to back the blue.
Together, these efforts – and others in the Safe Alabama Package – reflect our deep and ongoing commitment to public safety and further establishes Alabama as one of the most pro-law enforcement states in the nation.
