Meet John Brown, Interim MPD Police Chief

Interim Police Chief John E. Brown says he is honored to have the chance to lead the city’s police force and looks forward to building upon existing partnerships and solidifying plans already underway.

Chief Brown said one of those partnerships involves the work of the Montgomery Homicide Review Commission- a group of law enforcement and social service officials who come together to find ways to reduce homicides and other violent crimes. “We look at the common causes of violent crime and see what kind of intervention we can provide.” The group will be making recommendations on how to implement some of these crime-reduction projects in the fall.

Another project designed to build a stronger police department will be a streamlining of police efforts. “Chief (Ron) Cook and I are looking at ways that we can make sure our officers are where they need to be. We need to make sure we have officers assigned in central spots and that our manpower is used in the most effective, efficient way possible,” Chief Brown said.

Chief Brown also talked about a new live-fire situation shoot house for officers, particularly S.W.A.T., to improve training capabilities. The new facility will be more interactive and can be used in multiple ways. “We can have teams from the area come and train and also offer continuing education classes,” he said. The Peace Officers Standards & Training Commission is funding the shoot house at MPD’s outdoor range.

Chief Brown said plans also include a move of all motor vehicle crash and ticket reports to a new computer system that will allow officers to access all of the data from their desktops. “This will be a huge improvement in the way we manage our operations,” he said.

The interim chief brings a combination of education, training and experience to the job. He began his career with MPD in 1988, and served three years as a patrol officer before he joined the Juvenile Division as a detective. In 1994, he was promoted to corporal and assigned as a background investigator. In 1998, he was promoted to sergeant and named Recruiting Bureau commander. In that assignment, he was promoted to lieutenant in 2002. He was promoted to captain in 2006 and appointed assistant division commander for the Training and Recruiting Division.

He was promoted to major in 2005, serving as commander of Training and Recruiting and then of the Criminal Investigation Division. In 2012, he was named MPD chief of staff. Chief Brown holds a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from Troy University.

“I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve the City of Montgomery as the interim police chief,” Chief Brown said. “MPD will continue to move forward with our plans to strengthen the department as we serve and protect our city.”

Powerful Practices

By Calvin Brown, Director
Montgomery City/County Emergency Management Agency

No matter where you are, emergencies can strike swiftly and with forces so powerful that they can uproot entire families. From tornadoes to ice storms and everything in between, weather-related hazards are the emergencies we are most likely to face in the River Region. These events can strike with little warning, and our best defense against them is to have a plan and practice it with our families.

If you have children, your family may not necessarily be together when disaster strikes. Complete a card with contact information for each member of your family and make sure these cards are placed in wallets and book bags. Decide on a contact person such as a friend or relative who lives out of state for members of your family to notify that they are safe. As odd as it may seem, during a natural disaster it may be easier to make a long-distance call than one across town.

Teach even young family members how to use text messaging because these messages can often get around call disruptions when a telephone can’t.

Other actions families can take to stay safe include working together to build an emergency kit, sitting down as a family to talk about your communications plan, role-playing what you would do as a family, and holding fire drills in your home.

Remember the basics in putting together an emergency supply kit: one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days; at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food; a manual can opener; a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a NOAA Weather Radio and extra batteries; flashlight and batteries; first aid kit; a whistle to signal for help; and a cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger.

These are just a few ideas on keeping your family safe during emergencies. For more information contact FEMA at http://www.ready.gov/. A little planning can help protect the ones you love the most!

Fire/Rescue Puzzle Comes Together after Months of Planning, Work

By Fire Chief Miford Jordan
Montgomery Fire/Rescue

When we placed new Rescue 98 into service Friday at Fire Station No. 9, it was like adding that final piece of a complicated jigsaw puzzle that you've been working on for a long time. What a relief ... and what a satisfying moment!

Many people may not realize it took more than 18 months of saving and planning through two budget cycles to put Rescue 98 to work for our city. Before the vehicle was even built, we were occupied behind the scenes for months working to equip it. Then, moving into DPS SouthCentral gave us enough space to add the new medic unit, and a federal grant allowed us to hire more firefighters to provide the staffing we needed.

Determining the need for this truck and where it would go involved many working pieces, much like that large puzzle. An important piece was figuring out where the demand for emergency services will be in Montgomery and how we can fulfill that demand. We also used data to learn where we could best reduce response times for the greatest number of people.

The data confirmed that Station 9, located right at the intersection of McGehee Road and East South Boulevard, is a busy place that's centrally located. This year in February alone, Engine 9 responded to 191 medical calls and 44 fire suppression calls. The addition of Rescue 98 will make Engine 9 more readily available for suppression, plus the smaller medic unit operates at reduced cost.

So, why go to all this trouble for one new medic unit? In our business, seconds count. In fact, a few seconds can make a life-or-death difference to a cardiac patient or car wreck victim waiting for emergency medical response. We believe we'll see reduced response time for both medical and suppression calls, and those seconds could mean a life saved or a family home preserved.

We are always looking to the future at Montgomery Fire/Rescue, especially as our city continues to grow. The next puzzles we take on may be even larger and more complicated, but we owe it to Montgomery to plan for its future needs in fire services and to figure out how to meet those needs.

Emergency Communications Looking for Dedicated Professionals

By Larry Fisher - Director
Montgomery Emergency Communications Center

How would you like to have a job so important that when you lay down your head at night, you realize that today you saved someone’s life? 9-1-1 call processors know that feeling well.

Let’s say a call comes into our 9-1-1 Center. Multiple call processors reach to answer the call. One of them gets the call, answering within the first 15 seconds. This is the standard the Center uses, adopted from the National Fire Protection Association. Will this call be a life-or-death emergency? You never know and you can never hesitate … seconds count!

Processing 9-1-1 emergency calls and dispatching the proper response to help people is a calling. Not everyone can handle the job — not because they can’t learn the complex computerized phone system, software applications or learn the police and fire background information to be successful, but simply because of the nature of the calls.

The 9-1-1 Center handles every type of emergency call you can think of, whether it is a domestic violence situation, a robbery, a heart attack, or even icy patches on the road. Some people think it helps if you are an “adrenaline junkie,” or someone who needs excitement every second of their life.

I believe this job requires people who can handle extremely high levels of stress and who desire to help the public in a rapid, real-time world. It’s not a job for the faint of heart. You must be able to sympathize without empathizing.

Think this is a job you would enjoy doing? Your 9-1-1 Center is always looking for dedicated professionals. Interested? Contact the City/County Personnel Office at (334) 241-2675. Let us know if you would like to begin a new career in one of the most rewarding jobs you can find.

You will start by attending an eight- to 12-week academy that will help you develop the skills you need to be successful. Hourly wages are good, starting at $11.62 an hour during training and going to a beginning salary of $13.04 an hour once you have finished training. The benefits are excellent with paid holidays, medical insurance, and a retirement system. You can check out all of the benefits at www.Montgomeryal.gov.

Being an emergency communications officer is a challenging job, but it is also rewarding. 9-1-1 operators serve more than 96 percent of the nation’s citizens, and we are always looking for good employees. Recent changes to Alabama law have provided a separate funding stream for emergency communications that allows a level of job security not seen in many other fields.

We are also part of the Montgomery Department of Public Safety family, along with our brothers and sisters in police, fire/rescue and emergency management. And we are just that: family.

As an emergency call processor, you can join the MDPS family and make a difference in a job that is rewarding, challenging, and secures for you a bright future.

Getting Rid of the Junk

By J. Christopher Murphy

What if you looked out of your window and saw someone you didn’t know unscrewing the light bulb from your neighbor’s front porch? What would you do?

That’s exactly what happened to a Neighborhood Association president I met last week. He first called the police. He and another neighbor then went out to investigate why a strange young man was on their friend’s porch. He did the right thing and called the police, but what really caught my attention were two things: His sense of ownership of safety in his neighborhood and his attitude of defiance against crime.

"We don't allow that junk in our neighborhood,” he told me.

Making Montgomery a safer community for everyone may take a little defiance, along with a sense of ownership on everyone's part. You can help by getting information to help identify suspects such as jotting down car tags, providing clothing descriptions, or making a mental note of the suspect’s height and weight.

The active roles of our community partners make all the difference, and we at MDPS are also doing everything we can to combat crime. Our approach has involved surgically and tactically aggressive policing such as removing more than 500 illegal guns from the streets, more community policing, and specific operations in high-crime neighborhoods. We also must keep working to build strong partnerships among the police, schools, neighborhood groups, churches, parent groups and others dedicated to building a better Montgomery.

We also are excited about a new long-term program, the Montgomery Homicide and Violent Crime Review Commission, to help identify and address specific causes of crime.

As Mayor Todd Strange explained to the news media Friday, changing the life of a child is a victory. He said the City is also working on helping find solutions to crime problems, including mentoring programs for young people. The results may not be seen for many years, but such programs are positive steps in helping young people find the support systems they need to live productive lives instead of abusing alcohol or drugs, joining gangs, and/or committing crimes.

Police Chief Kevin Murphy also said the Department is reaching out to professionals such as emergency room physicians and social workers for insights on reaching the city's youth. Many do not have the support systems they need at home and turn to the streets for their sense of "family."

There's a lot of good in Montgomery, and one of our greatest assets is citizens who look out for the public's safety with an attitude toward crime that says "we don't allow that junk in our neighborhood."

Strong Partnerships Key to Safer City

The past weekend’s tragic shootings of two young Montgomery adults and the wounding of six others brings up questions about when and why the City of Montgomery can revoke a business license.

Montgomery businesses of any kind that become hotspots for criminal activity are subject to closure for the safety of the people who live here. City Clerk Brenda Blalock said sometimes the closures may involve ongoing complaints from neighborhood residents, but a single shooting incident is often enough to justify council action.

The Montgomery City Council will set up an ad hoc committee to review a business that may be considered a public safety risk. “We will not tolerate violent behavior in establishments in the City of Montgomery and will do whatever necessary to stop it,” said Montgomery City Council President Charles Jinright.

When the City Council objects to a license, it takes into account how that business affects the surrounding area. Among the factors considered are how often law enforcement responds to problems there and how its neighbors view the establishment.

The Montgomery City Council will send the business a certified letter for what is called a “show cause hearing.” The business then has an opportunity to show why it should stay open. The business can have an attorney present and bring as many witnesses as they choose. The business owner has the opportunity to appeal the decision made in the hearing to Circuit Court. Sometimes business owners may surrender their licenses voluntarily.

A business owner’s liquor license is a separate matter. These licenses are issued and revoked by the Alabama Beverage Control board. The best way to keep a liquor license is simply to comply with the law. ABC Enforcement and MPD work closely together on these types of public safety issues. Owners can comply with the law by not selling to minors, not selling after-hours or to intoxicated persons. Other conditions require the nightclub operator not to run an unsafe or unsanitary business and to self-report violent incidents.

The Montgomery Police Department is a community resource available to all individuals and businesses. Businesses are encouraged to utilize this resource to the full advantage. Through the Community Policing Bureau, MPD can work with the business owner for a security assessment or any other public safety concern.

Like any other public safety issue, the key is partnership. The response to this weekend’s shooting was a true collaboration involving the Mayor, City Council, the City Legal Department, and the Montgomery Department of Public Safety, including Montgomery Police and Fire departments, and ABC Enforcement.

All of these groups working together, along with an alert and engaged community, will make Montgomery a safer place to live and work.

A Safer Montgomery

By Director J. Christopher Murphy

In the waning days of 2013, I want to take a moment to share a few thoughts. First, and foremost, I wish each of you a blessed Christmas and holiday season. I hope this holiday for you is enriched with the blessings of close families, meaningful fellowship, and true joy.

To our police officers, firefighters and communications staff who will be working during the holidays, thank you for your commitment and dedication to the safety of our community and to that of the visitors who travel to and through our capital city.

This has been a challenging year with a persistently sluggish economy, an increase in violent crime, and the loss of some significant personnel among our member agencies. At the same time, it also has been a year of accomplishments and progress. We landed a new City/County EMA director and additional key staff to build a jam-up EMA.

We are being ushered into the social media world by a new employee in my office who is doing a great job of incorporating social media into our communications, even with an old fogey like me! We have had three Fire/Rescue classes this year, including 28 additional firefighter positions (thanks to a federal grant), which has raised our firefighter numbers to 459.

Plus, MF/R continues with outstanding response times and action on scene. We have had three police academy classes this year, placing officers in much-needed areas. MPD excels in too many areas to mention, but most notably has achieved a homicide solve rate of almost 90 percent, when the national rate hovers in the range of 60 percent.

At Emergency Communications, our staff members work tirelessly as “the Heart Behind the Voice”; and although we have struggled to achieve full staffing, we have begun to receive state funding which eventually will completely fund that department and allow us to be fully staffed.

At the Montgomery Department of Public Safety SouthCentral, almost all work is completed and the grand opening is scheduled for next month. What a great new facility for Police and Fire/Rescue to operate from in serving our city!

The Montgomery Department of Public Safety is alive and thriving, delivering exceptional public safety services to the capital city. Through our work every day we are making our community a safer place, and we are doing so with pride and professionalism. Within MDPS we have much to inspire our pride and gratitude in 2013, and I look forward to continuing our work together to serve and protect Montgomery in the New Year.