Mobile police chief questioning city ordinance that could impact MPD procedures

By Ariel Mallory

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    MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — The Mobile police chief is questioning a controversial ordinance going before the city council this week.

The ordinance surrounds MPD’s use of pre-dawn and no-knock search warrants.

If passed, it could change the way the Mobile Police Department carries out those raids.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson placed an immediate ban on the use of pre-dawn raids last year.

It happened hours after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by an MPD officer while executing a warrant.

In a statement released on Monday, Chief Paul Prine says he needs more “clarification.”

“On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the Mobile City Council will convene to further deliberate on the use of “no-knock” and “pre-dawn” operations by the Mobile Police Department. This follows constructive dialogues with the council and the administration, where a mutual understanding was reached to reconsider these practices in the spirit of collaboration and community trust. Chief Prine seeks clarification on the legal framework that permits the council to modify the guidelines surrounding “no-knock” and “pre-dawn” operations.

Council members have expressed concerns over the use of these raids in past meetings.

According to District 2 Councilman William Carroll, their job is to enact legislation for what’s in the best interest of everyone.

Carroll says the council is well within their “legal” right to make changes to the policy if they need to.

“It’s within the council’s ability to codify any type of legislation that the city needs whether in ordinance form,” Carroll said. “I mean that’s the council’s responsibility…we’re legislators.”

MPD officers showed up in full force when the ordinance was being discussed for the first time in December.

Chief Prine did agree with Mayor Sandy Stimpson after he placed that immediate ban on pre-dawn raids.

Carroll says he hopes both the council and police department can meet in the middle.

“Knocking on doors at four-thirty in the morning with a no-knock causes all types of issues anyway,” Carroll said. “So I think that we have to explore what the common ground is and find that area that we’re all gonna agree to.”

FOX10 News asked Carroll if the council plans on taking a vote on this ordinance tomorrow.

He says it’s not likely since they still have a lot of issues to iron out.

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