Alabama Senate Eyes Police Staffing Mandate

0:00It's March 31st. You're listening to Birmingham News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cori with the story. Alabama Senate is eyeing a bill tomorrow that mandates minimum police staffing for Montgomery and Huntsville, two full-time officers per 1,000 residents. Cities get five years to comply or the state law enforcement agency steps in to oversee things with the attorney general able to build them for costs. Montgomery's sitting at just 220 to 230 officers now. But they need around 400 to meet the mark. Huntsville lawmakers push for a tweak to 1.9 officers per 1,000 so Senator Barfoot plans a floor amendment. Montgomery's mayor calls it an unfunded mandate, but Barfoot fires back that state taxpayers already put the bill for a Metro crime unit that's cracking down on warrants and preventing trouble. He points out the city budgeted over $40 million for police in recent years, but left most unspent. Birmingham, same size as Montgomery, just hired 202 new officers from January through August this year.

1:05A former Montgomery police chief backed the 400 officer need last year too. This heads to the Senate floor tomorrow, and if it passes, it'll force real changes in how these cities handle policing or hand the reins to the state. Keep an eye on it.