Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The city of Alabaster provided an updated on its approach to shopping safety for the holiday season during a recent online town hall meeting.

Cpt. Grant Humphries with the Alabaster Police Department Joined Alabaster Mayor Scott Brakefield during the Alabaster Town Hall livestream to discuss shopping safety on Monday, Dec. 2.

“With the shopping centers being a very high traffic area, especially during this time of year… I wanted to give Grant and the Alabaster police a platform to talk about what to expect and what to see when you’re out shopping,” Brakefield said.

For the holiday season, the Alabaster Police Department has increased its presence in the city, especially in regard to the north and south promenade shopping centers on U.S. 31. The APD has implemented an extra amount of uniformed and plainclothes officers to the promenade.

“We hope that enhances security and makes people feel a lot better and allows shoppers and businesses to operate more securely,” Humphries said. “They’re there just to make you feel safe.”

Humphries and Brakefield both emphasized the opportunity for officers to engage with and talk to the general public through this community policing approach.

“We hope that our residents feel safe enough (and) comfortable enough to be able to go up and thank officers for their presence, to talk to them, to report anything that they’ve seen,” Brakefield said.

In addition to the increased presence of officers at the promenade, residents may notice the presence of a new large trailer named the “Mobile Command Center.” The Alabaster City Council purchased a trailer to serve as the Mobile Command Center during a meeting on Aug. 12 in the amount of $72,614 to Advantage Trailer.

“It’ll serve both police and fire, not just the shopping center but all the other events throughout the city during the year,” Humphries said.

The trailer is equipped with communications tools, cameras for surveillance as well as lighting equipment and its portable nature allows officers to deploy it at will throughout the city.

“If you need help, you can approach (it)—there’s frontage on the door to explain what to do if somebody is not there,” Humphries said. “We see it as just a great addition for the city.”

Alongside the deployment of the mobile command center, the APD are also utilizing cameras for surveillance and are able to monitor all of the storefronts and parking lots.

During the town hall, Brakefield and Humphries provided a variety of tips to help prevent crime during the busy holiday season.

“Always lock your doors during the holiday season, whether you’re home or shopping,” Humphries said. “Also, hide all of your valuables in your car. If you can take them with you, take them with you.”

Humphries also shared that residents should work to get packages out of the car into their homes as quickly as possible. Citizens should also work to break down and conceal boxes of “high ticket items” before placing them in trash cans to avoid unwanted attention.