Lt. Gov. Ainsworth: ‘Violent crime was out of control in too many of our cities, streets, and neighborhoods in 2024’

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January 14, 2025

Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is hoping that the Alabama Legislature will do more this year to combat violent crime in the state.

“Violent crime was out of control in too many of our cities, streets, and neighborhoods in 2024,” Ainsworth said on X Tuesday. “That’s why I’ll push for increased funding for our District Attorneys’ Offices and provide them with the resources to put criminals where they belong – behind bars for a long time. Thank you to Trisha Cater and Marshall County DA Jennifer Bray for your leadership.”

Violent crime was out of control in too many of our cities, streets, and neighborhoods in 2024. That’s why I’ll push for increased funding for our District Attorneys’ Offices and provide them with the resources to put criminals where they belong – behind bars for a long time.… pic.twitter.com/khcSbAymEB

— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) January 14, 2025

Violent crime has been an issue is some of Alabama’s biggest cities in recent years. Birmingham saw a 27% increase in homicides in 2024, breaking a grim 91-year-old homicide record. Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter recently said that he believes they will address some of the crime issues this upcoming session.

“One of the issues we’ll be facing is crime,” Ledbetter said. “The Birmingham, Montgomery areas are seeing more than their share this year…And I see that Mayor Woodfin is addressing it and trying to attack it. We’ve talked to him, and you know, we will be working with him and working with ALEA and some other folks, and probably will come up some packages of bills to try to help that problem.”

One of the bills that is expected to come up is one that State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) has pre-filed that would allow the governor or attorney general to appoint an interim police chief in municipalities where crime has seen a dramatic increase.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee

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