Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed delivered his annual state of the city address Tuesday evening to hundreds gathered at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex. Here are five key takeaways from Reed’s speech.
Crime
In June, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies re-accredited the Montgomery Police Department. Only 5% of the 18,000 law enforcement agencies received the accreditation.
Reed did not release any statistics concerning violent crime as he did last year. In 2023, there were 75 homicides.
Reed’s annual address happened the same day that MPD announced arrest of two teens in the killing of Sidney Lanier High School student Michael Anthony Cole Jr. Reed did not address the Cole case directly, though he did advocate for more services on the front end of the problem, including services for children. He called for the community to come together and support each other.
“While we cannot change the past, what we can do is initiate policy and do the work to make sure the next generation has that support, has those advantages, is given those opportunities,” Reed said.
More: Michael Anthony ColeKilling of Montgomery student Michael Anthony Cole shakes city
Fine forgiveness
Reed pledged to issue a order with the help of the Montgomery City Council in the coming weeks to address city fines. The order would forgive certain municipal fines and fees — including traffic tickets and second-degree, possession-of-marijuana, misdemeanor charges, Reed said.
Montgomery Fire & Rescue
Montgomery Fire & Rescue achieved a 1, the highest Insurance Service Office rating. Because of this, Reed said insurance companies can offer cheaper rates for both commercial and residential buildings.
The department has an average response time of three minutes and 54 seconds for fire suppression and EMS calls. The National Fire Protection Administration recommends a four-minute or better response time.
Reed said he expects the time to decrease once the city opens Fire Station 10 on South Court Street.
Investments
The mayor also highlighted several economic investments that the city made last year.
Through American Rescue Plan Act dollars, the city, with help from the county, is planning to launch a center to consolidate eight nonprofits that focus on helping people who are homeless — all under one roof. This will keep displaced people from being shipped to different nonprofits across the city and going through unnecessary red tape, Reed said.
“We’re restoring hope and dignity to our neighbors in need,” Reed said.
The mayor’s administration also dedicated $1.5 million to Riverwalk Stadium and $2 million into renovating Crampton Bowl.
With federal transit administration funding, the city put $5.2 million into its transit system, Reed said.
Internet for all
With a goal of positioning Montgomery as a tech and innovation leader, the city upgraded the Montgomery Internet Exchange.
The mayor partnered with AUBix LLC, a datacenter in Auburn, to try to achieve digital equity across the region. The city also expanded its C Spire Fiber Network.
“This is a sign that we’re an emerging technology hub,” Reed said. “Our goal is (to) position Montgomery as a tech and innovation leader for corporations and startups on the cutting edge.”
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser’s public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.
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