What do you have to hide, Montgomery?

By Daniel Schmidt

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When Mayor Steven Reed was sworn in as the city’s first Black mayor nearly 200 years after it was first incorporated, there was ample reason for celebration. In a town known for being both the “Cradle of the Confederacy” and “Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement,” most of its residents finally felt represented.

Reality quickly set in, however. While decisive action was taken when the pandemic struck, a burgeoning murder rate has left the city scarred. Mothers grieve the loss of their children, and cemeteries fill needlessly with fresh graves.

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Nearly two decades ago, Montgomery’s averaged nearly 32 homicides per year. Today it averages almost 69 and is on track to record more than 100 this year alone. While history shows this will not last forever, things are as dark as they ever have been.

To be clear, this does not rest solely on the shoulders of Mayor Reed. He and his administration cannot account for the actions of the residents they represent, and residents hesitate to overly criticize the local government. There are so many factors outside of their control.

Yet there is one area where the city can improve: transparency. After seemingly every shooting, inadequate information is provided to the public and follow-ups rarely occur. Official historical crime data is mostly inaccessible, and a gag order on officials in charge of departments tasked with solving this crisis breeds confusion and mistrust.

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Here is my advice to Mayor Reed: let those whose votes swept you to power know what is going on. While the truth may hurt, it always sets us free. And who knows, maybe you can earn a second term in office and solve this problem if you show the public you have tangible solutions.