Alabama lawmaker discusses solutions after Birmingham mass shooting

MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she is prepared to start a new crime unit in Birmingham following a mass shooting , but there needs to be an open line of communication with the city.

She said Monday morning she has not yet heard from Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.

"But I'm willing to hear from the mayor," Ivey said. "Like in Montgomery, we've started a [Metro] Area Suppression Crime Unit, and it's paying off big time. And I'm prepared to help Mayor Woodfin start the same in Birmingham."

State Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) said a crime unit would be beneficial, working hand in hand with the Birmingham Police Department and other law enforcement agencies across Jefferson County.

"They don't want to turn the control of their department over to state agencies because we don't have much own rule in the state as it is," Smitherman said. "And the ability to be able to rule yourself I think that's a concern."

According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Montgomery crime unit has seized 83 firearms — 17 of which had machine gun conversion devices — since it started June 24.

Smitherman is working on legislation that would increase penalties, sentencing people who commit these crimes to life in prison without parole.

"You have to make it a serious deterrent to people who are thinking about ever doing that," Smitherman said. "Knowing that they could take their life, and they will be in jail for the rest of their life."

Smitherman also said establishing a structured mentoring program, much like an ROTC program, would be beneficial for young men and women to learn conflict resolution. He said the community and state need to get down to the root cause of what brings people to commit a mass shooting.