Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed enters second term with new perspective
Steven Reed said his first four years as Montgomery's mayor taught him a few things, lessons that he plans to use as he enters his second term.
Reed said he has learned that government moves slowly, that it takes tenacity and determination to do his job, and he has to keep his eyes open for the unexpected.
“It takes casting a vision," Reed said. "It takes having the commitment, but it also means being willing to deal with the unforeseen and unexpected − like COVID-19, George Floyd, civil unrest − as well as being able to lead through other challenges that may be more local and acute to the community. That often takes listening to others and partnering with those in community who are outside of elected officials who are vested in helping the city grow to its potential."
To help the city grow to its full potential, Reed wants to start with building on the progress he has made in the realm of public safety. He plans to support the Montgomery Police Department by installing more cameras to handle speeding and other monitoring.
Reed also asked for cooperation from the community, asking more people to join Starwatch, which links camera feeds to the police department.
The mayor wants to continue to invest in neighborhoods, putting money into community centers and fiber to expand Wi-Fi.
He said he's confident in his support from the community that re-elected him.
Reed won with about 56% of the votes, based on incomplete, unofficial results. He was followed by Barrett Gilbreath, who had about 38% votes. Victorrus Felder had 3% of the votes, and Marcus McNeal had less than 1% of the vote.
There were 40,224 votes cast in the election.
He reiterated that crime in Montgomery has been down for the past two years and said he wants to continue this pattern and also lower the perception of crime in Alabama's capital city, which he said is nothing new.
“There’s never been this perfect utopia of Montgomery never having crime," Reed said, recalling how his home was broken into while his father was on the Montgomery City Council.
Reed also said he wants to help those on the margins who are at risk for committing these crimes, including young Black men. “That is an issue," he said. "It’s one that I take seriously that has not been on the decline like I'd like to see, so we’re looking for best practices."
As part of that effort, Reed would like to raise awareness about education and work-force development programs that the city and its partners offer.
“I believe showing young men and young women who may not understand or be comfortable with joining the workforce that there’s an opportunity and that there’s a safety net once they get in that we can reduce crime through providing those type of chances," Reed said.
More: Previous Coverage Montgomery re-elects Mayor Steven Reed
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed enters second term with new perspective
