Bill > SB298

This bill mandates that Class 3 municipalities, which are defined by their population size, must maintain a minimum staffing level of two full-time law enforcement officers for every 1,000 residents, based on the 2020 census. Municipalities that do not meet this requirement by October 1, 2026, will be given a five-year grace period to achieve compliance, provided they make annual improvements of at least 10 percent of their officer deficit and submit annual reports to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) detailing their progress. During this grace period, municipalities must also annually report their officer numbers, population figures, and recruitment efforts to ALEA. If a municipality remains in violation after the grace period, ALEA can assume operational oversight of its police department, which could include establishing corrective action plans, deploying additional officers, appointing a special administrator, or forming cooperative agreements with other law enforcement entities. This oversight will continue for 365 days after the municipality achieves compliance, and the state can seek full restitution for the costs incurred during this period, including the deployment of supplemental officers. The Secretary of ALEA is authorized to adopt rules to implement these provisions, and the act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

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