Uniontown Police Department says it is entering a new era of growth by hiring more officers and investing in equipment, facilities, and consistent public safety.
Uniontown Police Chief Michael Kiser says the department has made substantial progress since a staffing shortage earlier this year.
“We’re actually doing very well on staff right now,” Kiser said. “I’ve been able to hire three new officers.”
In addition to the three new officers, the department also has two recruits scheduled to attend the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (APOST) Academy in August.
The department also recently hired a certified officer from Florida. While the new transplant officer must complete Alabama’s certification refresher course, he has already joined the department and started working with other officers.
And the department is continuing to recruit.
“I actually have an interview in the morning for someone else that’s already a certified officer,” Kiser said.
The increased staffing is a significant pivot from earlier in the year, when Uniontown PD was operating with only six officers.
“It’s taken some time,” Kiser said. “It’s been some growing pains, and it’s been some hardships, and the chief has had to work a lot of hours. But I don’t mind. That’s what you take on. That’s the role. You can’t lead from the back. You have to lead from the front.”
While recruiting additional officers has been a priority, Kiser says the department’s long-term goals go far beyond personnel numbers.
Uniontown Police are expecting additional equipment and hope to obtain new patrol vehicles. The department is also pursuing grant funding for what could become one of the city’s biggest public safety projects.
The department has applied for multiple grants, including funding for a new public safety building that would serve as headquarters for Uniontown Police, Fire Department, and EMS.
“We’ve been speaking with the mayor and speaking with the city council,” Kiser said. “We’re going to try to maybe combine police, fire, and EMS into one structure to better serve the community instead of being scattered out.”
Kiser says the city hopes to know if it will receive the grant money by the end of the year.
Kiser says a partnership with the Crime Stoppers organization has been crucial in the department’s efforts to pursue grant opportunities that are traditionally difficult for small police forces to obtain.
“The way this grant works is we have teamed up with Crime Stoppers,” Kiser said. “They’re just an absolutely fantastic group of people. They’ve been a wealth of knowledge, help, and training.”
He says Crime Stoppers has done most of the grant-writing process while working alongside the department.
“They especially like working with smaller departments,” Kiser said. “Some of us are just not as fortunate with the revenue coming in.”
Kiser says the partnership will help Uniontown compete for funding that could improve public safety services for years to come.
Kiser, who became chief last November, says his focus has remained the same since day one: building a department centered on the people it serves.
“Our main focus is our community,” he said. “We have such a great community here. We have such a strong community here.”
While Kiser lives in Selma, he says Uniontown has become his community.
“I don’t feel like I’m just coming to another city to work every day,” he said. “This is my city. These are my people.”
He cited a recent critical incident, unrelated to criminal investigation, as an example of the community coming together to support its own, with residents providing water and shade to families during a difficult situation.
“It was just amazing to see,” Kiser said.
As the department continues increasing its numbers and seeking grant funding for public safety, Kiser says his goal is to maintain communication with residents.
“I’ll give out my cell phone number. You can call the chief of police,” he said. “I’m not this guy that sits on top of the mountain looking down. I’m here right alongside you because I’m serving the people.”
