The Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday approved SB298, sponsored by State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road).
The bill would mandate minimum officer-to-resident ratios for Class 3 municipalities like Montgomery and authorize state takeover of police departments that fail to comply.
One of the bill’s strongest proponents is a victim of the random violence that has plagued Alabama’s capital city.
Amy Dicks was running a simple errand — taking her husband’s truck to a dealership — when a bullet ripped through her car window on Atlanta Highway and lodged in her spine, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down.
She was an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire of a midday shootout between two vehicles at a busy intersection.
Now, nearly two years later, Dicks is fighting for laws she believes could prevent the next innocent victim.
“What happened to me shouldn’t have happened,” Dicks said. “Montgomery’s streets are not safe because there simply aren’t enough officers to protect the city. I’m asking every House member to look at me and understand — this is what inaction looks like. Don’t let my paralysis be in vain.”
In a separate victory, the Alabama Senate passed HB266 Wednesday — formally designating it the “Amy Dicks Act” in honor of the anti-crime crusader — which creates stiffer felony penalties for recklessly firing into crowds.
The House concurred with the Senate’s changes and sent the bill to Governor Kay Ivey for her signature.
