Pike Road Legislator: MPD Needs more officers ("buy and large") (!!!)

 (Suggestion: let's allow Montgomery voters to decide the police staffing at Pike Road first?)

Legislature considering allowing state to take over staffing at Montgomery Police Department

 Source: Montgomery Advertiser

A bill that could put state officials in charge of police staffing in Montgomery is expected to reach the Alabama Senate floor next week.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road), would allow the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to step in if class C municipalities fail to meet minimum police staffing levels. That would apply to Montgomery and Huntsville.

“The Montgomery Police Department, the men and women that serve there do an awesome job buy and large, and I’m grateful that they are there,” Barfoot told Action 8 News. “But it makes it a lot more difficult for them to combat crime and do what they’re supposed to do if they’re at a staffing level that is less than what they need to be at.”

Montgomery has a population of just over 200,000 people, according to 2020 census. Barfoot says the city needs two officers per 1,000 people to police effectively.