MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said Thursday a bill package designed to address crime in the state will be among the first matters addressed in the coming 2025 legislative session.
Speaking at a Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce event, Ledbetter said the package of bills would “come out pretty quick” into the session, which begins Feb. 4, and that it would include measures to increase law enforcement hiring and retention and potentially expand crime suppression group programs throughout the state, among other things.
“The police officers have been beat to death; it’s time we started backing them and quit dogging them, and I think you’ll see from the state’s standpoint this year,” Ledbetter said to applause. “We’ll come out with a strong package that shows that we appreciate what they do for us.”
A number of Alabama’s larger cities are currently experiencing a shortage of police officers; Birmingham is more than 220 officers short as of last October, and Montgomery, around 200 officers. Coupled with rising instances of gun violence in some of the state’s metro areas, particularly Birmingham, calls to recruit more law enforcement have increased in recent years…