Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson sends video message to police

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Mayor Sandy Stimpson released a video on his Facebook page aimed at the members of the Mobile Police Department after an investigation into the MPD.

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Former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown was brought in to investigate the MPD’s use of force due to six incidents in 2023 involving officers. Four of the six incidents were deadly.

Today, Stimpson, who has been critical of the Mobile Police Department’s leadership under Police Chief Paul Prine, expressed a message of support for the force.

“To the men and women of the Mobile Police Department, there has been much discussion about the criticism of the MPD and the third-party review of the six incidents involving our officers last year,” said Stimpson.

He continued, “I want to assure each of you that you have my full support and confidence. You put your lives on the line each and every day to protect our citizens and for that, I’m tremendously grateful.”

Brown’s report was released Tuesday, and in it, he said all four of the deadly encounters were justified but preventable.

He said there is a “problematic” MPD culture that starts with the leadership.

“In today’s society, there is a tendency to hold police officers to a standard of perfection, which is a standard no human being can achieve,” said Stimpson.

Stimpson said he and the City of Mobile’s attorney decided to bring Brown in for a third-party review of the MPD training, policy, and procedures after Mobile City Council President C.J. Small expressed the need for a review.

Stimpson said, “Please understand these types of investigations do not focus on what we’re doing right. Instead, the author focuses on errors where they believe operations can be improved according to the best standards of policing as outlined by (the Department of Justice) and other communities across the country.”

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In the video, he continued to say that he did not agree with every aspect of the report but that he agreed with Brown’s opinion that MPD has the “professionalism and the leadership” to examine every recommendation and create a path that works for the community.

Stimpson finished the video by saying, “I am certain that MPD will continue to be among the best police departments in the country.”

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