Montgomery police, sheriff’s office announce traffic crash partnership

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – The City of Montgomery and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office have announced a partnership to support traffic crash response within Montgomery city limits.

Three deputies trained in accident investigation will respond to qualifying crashes Monday through Friday, from 7AM to 3:30PM. The partnership establishes shared responsibilities that help both agencies make effective use of available law enforcement resources.

“Working together allows us to better serve the people who depend on us every day,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said. “This partnership gives MPD additional support for qualifying traffic crashes while allowing our officers to address other public safety needs across Montgomery. I appreciate Sheriff Cunningham and his team for their collaboration and shared commitment to keeping our community safe.”

“This new initiative with the Montgomery Police Department reflects our shared commitment to serving our citizens,” Sheriff Derrick Cunningham said. “By providing additional assistance with traffic accidents, we can reduce response times, improve the efficiency of investigations, and minimize the impact of traffic incidents on our community. Ultimately, this effort is about working together to better serve our citizens and make our roadways safer.”

The three assigned deputies will investigate crashes involving personal-use vehicles that result in no injuries or only minor injuries. The sheriff’s office will not respond to every traffic crash in Montgomery. The police department will continue to handle crashes outside that scope and all traffic crash investigations outside those hours.

MPD will retain responsibility for crashes involving commercial vehicles, serious bodily injury, a fatality or suspected fatality, circumstances requiring specialized investigative personnel, equipment or resources and other circumstances requiring police personnel or investigative capabilities.

Either agency may request assistance from the other when circumstances warrant, with the safety of motorists, the public and responding personnel guiding the appropriate response.

Under the agreement, the City will pay the Montgomery County Commission $936,183 annually to support personnel and operational costs associated with the services.