Montgomery City Council Debates $1.45M TrafficServe Contract

0:00Montgomery City Council is weighing whether to end a $1.45 million contract with Traffic Serve, a startup from Louisiana. The deal would have civilians handle minor traffic accidents instead of police officers using three cars and staff for eight hours a day, five days a week. Earlier this year, the council approved this as a sole source contract after some questions about its setup. Traffic Serve pitch writing reports for small crashes and light traffic control during peak times to free up officers. Critics point out the high cost, noting that hiring a new train Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy with salary and benefits runs about $100,000 a year each. That makes the private option seem steep by comparison. At a recent meeting, Traffic Serve's co-founder and CEO spoke up, saying he had no prior talks with the city and asked for a chance to address any issues. Montgomery Police Chief James Grabo is confirmed. This would be the company's first city operation. The council has not decided yet, but the debate highlights tensions over outsourcing public

1:03safety services and taxpayer value. We'll keep watching how this plays out. Birmingham News Today, powered by AI, bringing you what matters.