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Anniston mayor cites staff pay and hiring changes as reasons for recent crime declines
Summary
The mayor said the city has boosted police pay and streamlined hiring to improve staffing and that those steps, combined with department efforts, correspond with a multi-year decline in crime rates.
Mayor (name not specified), mayor of Anniston, described steps taken to strengthen the Anniston Police Department's staffing and said crime has declined in recent years.
The mayor said the city serves about 21,000 constituents while the Anniston Police Department's jurisdiction covers more than 40,000 people beyond city limits. To bolster manpower, the mayor said council-approved pay increases and a streamlined hiring process have helped recruit and retain officers. "Manpower and capacity is extremely important," the mayor said.
The mayor credited the measures with reductions in crime, saying, "since 2016, we've seen a 51% decrease in [violent] crime. In the last year alone, we've seen a little over 10% decrease" (transcript worded "bridal crime," corrected here to "violent crime" based on context). The mayor said the work is ongoing and that staffing and recruitment remain priorities. No new staffing ordinance, pay schedule or personnel action was announced during the Mayor's Moment segment.
