At the Alabama League of Municipalities Advocacy Day, a panel of law enforcement leaders came together to discuss the state of public safety across Alabama and how local elected officials can support their police departments. 

The panel was moderated by retired law enforcement officer Louis Zook, who now works for the League of Municipalities and featured Chief Bill Partridge of Oxford, Executive Director of Public Safety David Wilson of Foley, and Chief Shane Ware of Vestavia Hills.

These professionals, all with extensive experience in their fields, shared their insights on the evolving challenges facing law enforcement and offered guidance to municipal leaders in attendance. 

The chiefs highlighted several key issues, including the intense scrutiny officers face, the strain of dealing with mental health crises, and the difficulty with recruiting and retaining qualified officers.

“The biggest thing that’s happened in public safety over the last 10 years is the scrutiny that the officers on the street receive every day,” explained Chief Partridge.

“I hear it from different classes that I teach across the country, officers talking about ‘we’re scared that we’re going to mess up. Because we’re scared we’re going to be the next YouTube sensation for 15 seconds.’”

RELATED: Rep. Aderholt talks federal appropriations and local partnerships at ALM luncheon

The public pressure has taken a toll on officer morale and decision-making, according to the panel. Chief Partridge added that the mental health crisis has further burdened police, who are often the first responders dealing with these often sensitive situations. “

It seems as if all of the mental health has been pushed off on the street officer to deal with. They’re not only a law enforcement officer or a peace officer, they’re also having to be a psychiatrist on the street.”

Recruitment and retention of quality officers was another major concern raised by the panel. When referring to recruitment efforts, Director Wilson explained,

“If we advertise that we were hiring, we used to have 110 show up. Now we have 10.” He emphasized the importance of not lowering hiring standards, even in the face of these challenges. “You should not lower your standards,” said Director Wilson. “I specifically want to ask the mayors to do whatever you can to help your police department not lower the standards.”

RELATED: Lawmakers introduce ‘Safe Alabama’ package to strengthen law enforcement and tackle violent crime

The panel pointed to several factors contributing to the staffing crisis, including competition from other industries offering better pay and benefits, the negative public perception of law enforcement, and legislative changes that have made the job more difficult.

“We’ve passed some laws in the last few years that have had, in my opinion, a negative impact on public safety,” said Chief Ware. 

Despite these obstacles, the panelists urged the local elected officials in attendance to take an active role in supporting their police departments. They noted the need to ensure a positive work culture, provide competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain officers, invest in officer training and equipment, engage with the community and build strong police-community relations, and consult with public safety leaders before making decisions that could impact them.

“”You show me a successful Police Department, and I’ll show you a successful city, and vice versa,” said Chief Partridge.

The panel’s message was clear – supporting public safety is crucial for the overall wellbeing and progress of Alabama’s communities.

Grace Heim is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You can follow her on X @graceeheim or email her at [email protected].