July 8, 2021
Jim Evancho
Anniston Police Chief Nick Bowles has now been in position for a year and has been busy taking the helm of this busy police department. With significant increases of violent crimes being reported across the United States Chief Bowles was pleased to report that the crime rates in Anniston have not seen the same effect. Currently Anniston has had four murders with the most recent occurring over the past 4th of July weekend. Other violent and non-violent crimes have remained consistent with previous years which may be a testament to the residents of the city itself.
Chief Bowles stated that one of the tools he utilizes is his partnerships with different federal agencies to help prosecute dangerous offenders. When a person is convicted of a crime on a federal level the penalties can cause the convicted person to spend more time behind bars. Bowles went on to say that it is his job to keep the law abiding citizens of Anniston as safe as possible from criminal activity.
The police officers of Anniston also have individual discretion in how they enforce the law. Bowles stated that the police department works closely with different social services agencies to allow officers the ability to try and help people that may not need to be arrested, but do need help. The Chief stated “Our intent is to stop crime, not always send someone to prison”. There are many times that a person can make a mistake, but be led towards getting back on the right path and a long jail term may not be the most productive use of the system.
Although car thefts have decreased Chief Bowles gets disappointed when a stolen car crime is preventable. “Many times the owner of a car will leave the keys in the ignition with the engine running to go in a store real quick. This allows someone to take advantage of this and take the car”. A theft like this is a crime of opportunity and if the opportunity was not present the car would not have been taken. It is important to remember to always stay with a vehicle when the engine is running to avoid a situation where your property is taken. Another frustration to law enforcement agencies across the country is the numbers can’t be changed even if the car theft was not actually a theft. An example would be if a child takes a parents car out for a joy ride and the parents file a stolen car report. When the vehicle is recovered, many times the parents do not want to pursue charges and drop the case. The initial report of the stolen vehicle still counts against the agency’s stats. If five cars are reported stolen, but only two are pursued in criminal courts the number of stolen cars is still five and not two so the number of actual stolen vehicles may actually be lower than listed on the statistics.
Another high point for the Anniston Police Department is the resurrection of the K-9 Unit. The Calhoun County Journal reported earlier on the recent implementation of the new K-9 Unit and the benefits for the community in which they work. This new unit was started with the help of the Anniston Police Foundation which is a not for profit organization with no affiliation with the City of Anniston. It is their mission to “To operate a charitable organization for the planning, development, implementation, and support of programs and activities of the Anniston Police Department. To improve communication between the Anniston Police department and the community”. If you would like to donate to the foundation please visit their Facebook page.
Chief Bowles also stated that the “Anniston City Council is very supportive of the police department and is very optimistic that continued growth will happen”. With many other cities attempting to “defund” law enforcement the city council continuously provides a good working budget to properly maintain the department and upkeep of all important equipment. The current budget has enough money to employ 92 sworn officers to work the street, but currently the agency only has 77 men and women to do the job. Although Anniston is in need of more officers they are still strict with the recruitment and background policies and will not take just anyone to fill open positions. Anniston is still currently hiring for the position of Police Officer and will continue to do so until the staff is full. One concern that has been raised is how officers do not do a lot of routine patrolling of neighborhoods or businesses. Bowles stated that “calls for service” take priority over all other tasks. When a citizen calls through 911 or directly into the police station an officer or officers are dispatched to respond to that request which means they are unable to conduct a general patrol. When additional officers have been hired there will be more patrol vehicles on the road and general patrols will be more common.
Chief Bowles believes the City of Anniston is still moving in the right direction and will continue to help the police department grow and increase more services in the future.
