Crime suppression unit could be coming to more Alabama cities
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — It is called the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit or MACS. It is made up of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery Police Department and other agencies.
Leaders are boasting a decreasing crime rate in Montgomery, and they hope to expand it.
'This is not fun and games,' said Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham. 'This is not a PlayStation game that you're playing out here on the streets. This is for real.'
Cunningham said juveniles are arming themselves and stealing vehicles, but the MACS is stopping them. In under 100 days, the team seized 195 guns and 51 stolen cars.
'You can listen to the radio,' Cunningham said. 'I mean, the serious calls that we were getting back then we don't get like we used to, and it's all because of what this task force is doing.'
That task force could be expanded. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor said Gov. Kay Ivey is requesting $3 million from the legislature. Taylor said creating a permanent force could help other cities like Birmingham.
Alabama Auditor Andrew Sorrell running for secretary of state
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall wants to see better support for the court system, too. He said providing more judges in local jurisdictions would help with an overwhelming caseload and make the MACS even more effective.
'Not only do we need to do a good job on the front end of holding those individuals that are out on the streets accountable,' Marshall said. 'We also have to make sure that we are supporting the efforts in the court system to be able to hold these offenders accountable as well.'
Cunningham said it's a team effort.
'You can't come in there as a sheriff or as a police chief or as a director and just feel like 'Well, it's my way or no way,'' Cunningham said. 'You got to take all that stuff and put it aside. Put the community first and then think about what's taking place in our neighborhoods, taking place in our communities. Let's put them first.'
The effort to expand MACS is a part of the 'Safe Alabama Package,' which is moving through the legislature right now. These bills range from banning Glock switches to increasing penalties for crimes. Leaders hope that will crack down on criminals.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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