On Monday, Oct. 28, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) provided an update on the progress of the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit, as well as the progress of the Agency’s Flying Wheel Detail in Montgomery and surrounding areas.
Since June 2024, the MACS Unit has conducted 1,700 traffic stops, served 442 arrest warrants, which range from Failure to Appear for traffic offenses to Capital Murder, arrested 171 individuals on various charges (13 were juveniles), recovered 30 stolen vehicles and has made 34 drug seizures to include a significant amount of Fentanyl. The unit has also seized a total of 137 firearms, with 20 of those equipped with machine gun conversion devices, commonly known on the street as “switches.” One ongoing investigation led the MACS Unit to a residence where a federal search warrant was executed. During the warrant, 75 manufactured machine gun conversion devices along with the manufacturing equipment were seized.
“Not only are officers removing dangerous drugs and firearms from the streets, but they are also proactively working to uncover the direct source of illegal conversion devices before they fall into the possession of criminals,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “Due to their rapid rate of fire, these conversion devices pose a significant threat to our local communities and law enforcement officers. We will continue to work together and focus on removing these dangerous and illegal devices from our streets to reduce the destruction and loss of life from senseless gun violence.”
The MACS Unit is a specialized unit created by ALEA in collaboration with the Alabama Attorney General's Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Montgomery Field Office to confront and reduce violent crimes through sustained, proactive and coordinated investigations. Officers with the MACS Unit seek to obtain prosecutions for violations such as organized crime, drug conspiracy, robbery, motor vehicle theft and firearms violations.
In addition to MACS, ALEA launched what is known as the “Flying Wheel Detail,” utilizing its Motor Enforcement Unit to provide additional resources in the City of Montgomery, specifically for traffic enforcement. ALEA Troopers assigned to the detail worked from Monday, Oct. 21 to Thursday, Oct. 24, and targeted moving violations such as but not limited to, speeding, following too close and improper lane change. During this four-day period, the Flying Wheel Detail issued 454 citations and 99 warnings to motorists.
