Montgomery police bill fails to make it through the Alabama Legislature
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – Time ran out on the 2026 session of the Alabama Legislature before a final vote could be taken on a bill to increase the number of officers in the Montgomery Police Department.
As Action 8 News has reported, State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road), whose district includes part of Montgomery, introduced the bill to get more police on the streets of Montgomery.
His bill would have allowed ALEA to step in if Montgomery didn’t meet minimum levels for officers. Barfoot said he was told that the city has about 230 officers, or about 40% fewer than it needs. The city won’t release an official tally.
State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) – Photo from the Alabama Legislature
Under his bill, the city would have had five years to raise officer numbers by 10% a year before the state got involved.
The bill would apply to Class C municipalities, which would include Huntsville as well as Montgomery. Barfoot said his focus was on improving police protection in Montgomery.
Barfoot told Action 8 News today that he might reintroduce the bill as he monitors staffing levels, but says his bill did get people’s attention.
“Even though I wasn’t successful in getting it passed, I think it galvanized the community that was already talking about the lack of law enforcement officers that we have in Montgomery,” Barfoot said in a telephone interview. “So I think from that standpoint, it’s still a success. It doesn’t mean that the goals of making Montgomery safer and adding more police on the streets isn’t the same goal today as it was yesterday.”
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed was strongly opposed to the bill, saying it wasn’t about public safety, but control.
Today, he released a statement about the bill, saying in part, “Public safety is too important for one-size-fits-all approaches.
Real progress comes from strong partnerships, smart investments, and strategies that reflect the realities on the ground.”
Reed thanked other members of the legislature and the city council for what he said was ensuring “our voice was clearly represented.”
Even with Mayor Reed’s opposition, the bill came close to making it through the Legislature. It had been approved by the Senate, as well as a House committee.
Time ran out on the session yesterday before it could come up for a vote in the full House. It was the last bill on the House calendar.
