The new Task Force of the US lawyer in the river region aims at crime on several levels

Posted: May 6, 2025 7:00 a.m. CDT

from
Estee Morrison, John Dupree, Waka Action 8 News

Montgomery, Ala. (Waka) – A new task force works with the crime -suppressing unit in Montgomery Area to target the city's problem on several levels.

The noise of a quick shot in the machine gun in County Downs last year has become an overly familiar soundtrack in the districts of Montgomery, since law enforcement officers are exposed to a growing threat.

According to Kevin Davidson, lawyer of the US lawyer for the Middle District of Alabama, the rise of machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches”, has transformed into a crisis on public security.

“In the past two years it has just become an epidemic on the streets,” said Davidson. “It is the problem of public security in public security here in our district and other districts, only because of the danger of these devices.”

Five men were charged in April after the officials described the greatest confiscation of machine gun conversions in the history of the district – 53 switches were recovered in Montgomery.

This bust was a result of the Void program for intervention and deterrent storms (Void), a federal initiative that was initiated in March 2024 to address violent crimes through improved coordination between the federal government, state and local authorities.

“Every month, twice a month, we meet here in the office with federal, state and local partners – usually more than 20 people – to talk about who the individuals are driving violence crimes in the district,” said Davidson. “We talk about them and develop strategies for each of them to get them off the street.”

According to Davidson, the program improves communication between law enforcement authorities and contributes to closing gaps in relation to supervision and enforcement.

“Sometimes it is only a question of an agency who knows that someone is involved in criminal behavior, and another agency who knows that he is on probation – which represents a violation – but they don't talk to each other,” he said. “This program brings everyone in one room to develop a plan.”

Davidson attributes the Void program with the production of results.

“Due to the cooperation through the Void program, we were able to do numerous people for car jackets, robberies and shooting sowbohl on the state side as well as on the federal side of the client,” he said. “We are only enthusiastic about the cooperation that we received from everyone involved.”