By Jakiya Dudley, Digital Media Specialist
Alexander City, Ala. — On Wednesday, Dec. 14, local community leaders including Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles officers, Marine Patrol Division troopers, Wind Creek State Park rangers and others collaborated at the Leadership Lake Martin Criminal Justice Day seminar in Alexander City to give insight on their involvement in public safety.
Officer Michael Waldrop, a 20-year law enforcement officer from the Bureau explained the importance of parole officers’ duties. “Our responsibility of supervising and rehabilitating offenders upon their reentry into society is a key component of protecting citizens because we determine if offenders meet the set conditions to reintegrate back into the community,” he said.
Alexander City Field Officer-in-Charge Dustin Wallace gave the audience a walkthrough of the daily task of a probation and parole officer. “I supervise 34 parolees which consists of monitoring their behavior, cooperating closely with the local city, district, circuit judges, District Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in the area, assessing the risk they pose to the general public, and overall contributing to their rehabilitation,” said Wallace.
“All in all, our job is not to put them in jail but to reduce recidivism and prevent them from reoffending, which ultimately keeps the community safe,” Waldrop added.
Tallapoosa County Director of Community Corrections Andrea Hutcherson discussed the program’s mission to promote public safety by facilitating positive change and lawful living to offenders outside of prison.
“We are a community-based program who oversees non-violet offenders and provides safe, cost-efficient correctional programs such as community service, until the end of their sentence date in order to decrease recidivism rates,” said Hutcherson.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division troopers discussed their efforts to protect citizens and promote responsible use of resources on Alabama’s waterways.
“With Alabama’s enjoyable weather conditions and abundant waterways, boating is a popular form of entertainment among our residents,” said Marine Patrol Regional Commander Steve McWaters. Marine Patrol troopers are responsible for patrolling Alabama’s public waterways, protecting marine resources and property, and enforcing the state’s boating laws to ensure citizens safely enjoy the waters.
McWaters shared safety tips for the holiday season. “Summers and holidays are our busiest times of the year,” he said. “With New Year’s Day quickly approaching, I’d like to remind boaters to adhere to the boating rules and regulations and refrain from operating a vessel in a reckless manner to protect themselves and others.”
Ranger Gerald Martin from Wind Creek State Park explained the diversity of their public safety duties. “We as park rangers help keep the community safe by protecting Alabama’s parks, natural resources, wildlife, and people who visit,” said Martin. He also discussed the law enforcement activities specifically unique to park rangers including assisting with wildfires suppression and performing search and rescue missions. Wind Creek State Park is located south of Alexander City on one of the largest state-owned campgrounds in the United States.
The Bureau respectfully acknowledges each Alabama public safety agency working diligently to protect and serve our state. We also thank each agency’s presenter who participated in the Leadership Lake Martin Criminal Justice Day seminar and provided educational tips on the numerous efforts made to strengthen public safety. To learn more, visit: https://www.alexcitychamber.com/leadership-lake-martin.
