Alabama Republican Party Chairman Scott Stadthagen said Birmingham and Montgomery are experiencing the highest crime in the state's history, tying the claim directly to Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones, who is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville. But the actual 2026 numbers out of both cities point the other way, with homicides and several other crime categories trending down rather than up.
What Stadthagen Actually Said
Stadthagen made the comments on the Jeff Poor Show on October 16, according to AL.com, describing Birmingham and Montgomery as having the highest crime in Alabama's history without specifying which statistic he was citing. He argued that Democratic Party leadership in both cities is to blame, saying that leadership is not working and that Montgomery and Birmingham previewed what a Doug Jones administration would bring statewide. “I agree with Coach 100 percent that we need to bring in strong conservative policy and clean up our cities and make sure that our citizens are safe,” he said, warning that a Jones governorship would spread those problems statewide, per the same report. The Doug Jones campaign did not respond to a request for comment, AL.com reported.
Crime has become a recurring flashpoint in the 2026 governor's race between Jones and Tuberville. Tuberville has said he would crack down on crime in Montgomery and has floated considering the Alabama National Guard to address crime in Birmingham and Montgomery, according to the same AL.com report.
Birmingham's Homicide Count Falls Sharply
Birmingham had recorded 34 homicides through the end of the third quarter of 2026, according to ABC 33/40. That compares with 61 homicides at the same point in 2025 and 129 in 2024, the station reported, citing Birmingham police department figures. A separate AL.com seed figure put the 2025 comparison at 66 homicides during the same period rather than 61, a discrepancy the available reporting does not reconcile.
The station's report also noted the department recorded a 91% homicide clearance rate, along with other broader improvements. Citywide violent crime was down 8.6% through the third quarter, total Part I crime fell 13%, and average police response times dropped 16.4%, according to the same account. One category moved in the opposite direction: domestic-violence-related offenses in Birmingham rose 18.3% over the same period.
On Pace for Lowest Murder Tally Since 1951
Birmingham is on track to end 2026 with its lowest murder tally in 75 years, according to AL.com's crime desk. The city recorded just 44 killings in 1951, the lowest on record, compared with a high of 152 homicides in 2024, the outlet reported. The same report found 137 people had been shot in Birmingham so far in 2026, down from 217 the prior year, while rapes fell 27.6%, robberies dropped 35.4% and aggravated assaults declined 0.8%.
Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett called the drop drastic. “I'm extremely proud,” Pickett said, according to AL.com's crime coverage. A separate state legislative report from the Alabama Reflector found Birmingham homicides had already declined from 152 in 2024 to 88 in 2025.
Montgomery Sees Mixed Picture, Domestic Violence Surge
Montgomery recorded 41 homicides in 2026 through October 7, including 13 tied to domestic violence, Mayor Steven Reed said, according to WSFA. Reed said that domestic-violence-related homicide total was more than the previous three years combined, and the station reported that Montgomery police officers had responded to more than 800 domestic-violence calls in 2026, averaging almost three calls a day.
Montgomery's 41 homicides compare with 51 recorded by early October 2025, 61 in 2024, and 75 in 2023. Reed has also said that, as of September 2026, Montgomery's violent crime was down about 15%, nonviolent crime was down 25%, and homicides were down 19%. The Alabama Reflector separately reported that Montgomery's violent crime had already decreased 25% in 2025 compared with the previous year. Still, the city was shaken by a weekend in April 2026 when four people were killed in separate shootings, a reminder that citywide statistical trends don't erase individual violent incidents.
A Police Staffing Bill That Never Passed
Montgomery's crime numbers also fueled a legislative fight earlier in 2026. Republican state Sen. Will Barfoot of Pike Road sponsored a bill that would have required Montgomery to grow its police force to roughly 400 officers by 2031 or face possible state intervention, according to the Alabama Reflector. The proposal would have let the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency appoint an administrator over the Montgomery Police Department and would have allowed state troopers or officers from surrounding agencies to supplement local police, the outlet reported.
Reed and Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys opposed the bill, arguing the city was already working to recruit and retain officers. The measure died on the final day of the 2026 legislative session, per the same report. Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter has also been pulled into the crime conversation: Stadthagen, who was serving as House majority leader at the time, said he and Ledbetter discussed using state troopers to protect legislators during the session and talked about ALEA protection and a security perimeter around the State House.
