Montgomery mayor addresses crime, economy at State of the City

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - At Tuesday’s State of the City address, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed shared his goals for the upcoming year.

The mayor covered several topics, putting a particular focus on crime, the economy and job creation.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You are safe, if not safer, in Montgomery than in any city our size in this state or in our region,” said Reed.

Reed said he wants residents to feel safe. He said crime is down since Darryl Albert took over as police chief last year. Albert says the city ended 2022 with 62 homicides versus 77 the previous year. Reed said the police department is solving 70% of cases.

“I’m proud of our men and women and blue. And I’ll continue to support them because they protect our residents the right way,” Reed said.

Still, the mayor wants to build further trust and transparency between the police department and residents, specifically mentioning police reform. He said the recent beating death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee further highlights this issue.

“Tyre Nichols’ death likely won’t be the last that we’ll see of that kind. We just pray that it’s not in our city the next time it happens,” he said.

Another topic in the mayor’s annual address centered around job creation and the economy. He said, “In 2022 alone, we recorded the best economic development year on record.”

Reed cited $1.7 billion invested in the city and an additional 2,000 jobs created. He said another 300 jobs are on the way with the city’s planned Manna beverage facility. The mayor is also optimistic about the city’s planned Amazon plant.

Reed also wants to further assist the homeless population in 2023, as well as revamp community centers to include technology, education, training and workforce development.

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