A new bill introduced by State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) and backed by Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter seeks to bring greater accountability to law enforcement staffing and crime statistics across the state. HB287 would require municipalities to report the number of sworn law enforcement officers to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and the Attorney General.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Givan outlined the bill’s importance in ensuring that communities have accurate information regarding how many police officers are actively patrolling their streets.
“There has been an issue in some communities where the number of sworn officers is at issue,” Givan said. “We must know what the true number of sworn law enforcement officers is, and that should never be something that is non disclosable and made such by leadership in any municipality.”
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Givan pointed to concerns in Birmingham, where discrepancies in crime reporting and officer numbers have raised questions about transparency. She noted that while the city’s system reported only 65 homicides last year, other sources suggested a much higher figure.
“We all know that we reached beyond those numbers,” she said. “Crime statistics must be in the report.”
Following discussions with ALEA, Givan announced that she intends to introduce a substitute for HB287 to strengthen enforcement measures. The revised bill will include penalties for municipalities that fail to comply with the reporting requirements.
“I received calls from ALEA and others that the bill needed to go a little bit further to be somewhat punitive for noncompliance,” Givan said. “With the substitute that I will present, it will require municipalities to report.”
Under the substitute Givan intends to introduce, municipalities would have 60 days to comply with the reporting requirements once the bill is enacted, with annual reports required after.
“This will also go to Attorney General Steve Marshall and a commission that will make sure those numbers are in place and reported with accuracy,” Givan explained. “We will no longer tolerate anyone fudging these numbers for self-promotion.”
Givan also wants the reported data to be available to the public, not just law enforcement agencies.
“We’re looking at transparency,” Givan said. “It appears to me that some are playing Russian roulette with the lives of those who live in certain municipalities.”
HB287 is expected to be read in the Committee on County and Municipal Governments where Givan will introduce a substitute. Today is the seventh legislative day.
Grace Heim is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You can follow her on X @graceeheim or email her at [email protected].
