Montgomery Police Silent as State Takeover Bill Dies in House

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama House adjourned its 2026 session Thursday without voting on Senate Bill 298, killing a measure that would have mandated minimum staffing for Montgomery's police department and allowed the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to intervene if unmet.[1][2] Sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, the bill targeted Class 3 municipalities like Montgomery and Huntsville, requiring 1.9 full-time officers per 1,000 residents based on the 2020 census — 381 officers for Montgomery.[1] Cities would have had five years, with 10% annual increases, to comply before state takeover.[1][2] The bill passed the Senate and a House committee but sat last on the House calendar as time expired April 9, 2026.[2] Montgomery officials and clergy rallied against it, with Mayor Steven Reed and Public Safety Director Frank Hatcher holding a press conference to decry it as overreach.[4][5] Hatcher called police staffing a 'national crisis, not a local failure,' urging statewide solutions over city-specific mandates.[5] Montgomery Police Chief A.J. 'Tony' Johnson did not respond to requests for current staffing figures after the bill's death, leaving exact officer numbers unclear.[3] The department has faced ongoing recruitment challenges amid rising violent crime; in 2025, Montgomery reported 68 homicides, down from 105 in 2022 but still among Alabama's highest per capita.[3] Barfoot argued the quota addressed chronic understaffing hampering response times in the capital city of 200,000.