Nearly 60 cases dismissed due to corruption in Hanceville Police Department
A Hanceville resident gives an emotional testimony about whether the local police department should be disbanded, in Hanceville, Ala., Feb. 27, 2025.
By Safiyah Riddle
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Nearly 60 felony cases will be dropped in a small Alabama town because they were compromised by what a grand jury called a “rampant culture of corruption” in the local police department, according to a statement on Wednesday.
The grand jury determined that 58 felony criminal cases had been tainted by corruption in the Hanceville Police Department in northern Alabama, after four officers and the police chief were indicted on a variety of charges related to mishandling or removing evidence from the department’s evidence room.
The indictment included a recommendation that the department be “immediately abolished.”
The case roiled the town of approximately 3,200 people about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Birmingham.
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said that even one compromised case “is too many” but that “the Grand Jury had no other recourse,” in a statement on Wednesday night. He added that most of the cases were drug-related and only a few were personal crimes with victims.
The 58 tossed cases were selected based on an audit conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations.
The audit found that nearly 40% of all 650 evidence bags and almost a third of all firearms weren’t documented before being stored in the evidence room. There was also a wide array of evidence that appeared to be missing, including firearms, cash and illicit drugs.
Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer placed the whole department on leave in February, and then following weeks of polarized debate, announced in March that the department would be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch.
A spokesperson for Hanceville’s municipal government did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday afternoon.
___
Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community
After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.
