Gov. Kay Ivey has “no plans” to deploy the Alabama National Guard in Birmingham following the mass shooting outside a Five Points South lounge, a spokeswoman for the governor said Tuesday night.
Although the governor “has NO plans to deploy the National Guard, she DOES stand willing and ready to work with Birmingham to combat their ongoing crime just as we have been able to do through the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit here in our Capital City,” Gina Maiola tweeted.
Maiola was responding to comments made by state Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, who said the city may have “no choice” but to receive assistance from the national guard if there is a “catastrophic” event that taxes what she characterized as Birmingham’s understaffed police department.
“If anything catastrophic happens, if something major, catastrophic happens, that will require massive attention from Birmingham Police Department, we will have no choice,” she said Monday.
In an interview with AL.com on Tuesday night, Givan said her National Guard comment was misinterpreted and that she meant that guard would be available should the city need it.
“The question is simple: do we have backup plan if there is a need and we cannot fill a need locally. The answer is, simply, ‘yes,’” Givan said.
“I’m not even saying for the governor to bring in the damn National Guard,” the lawmaker continued, adding that Ivey’s office did not discuss the issue with her. “At the end of the day, there is a resource available if we need it.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, who has feuded with Givan since the mass shooting, called the national guard idea “whack.”
“Let me tell you what the National Guard is,” Woodfin said. “National Guard are civilians. We’re not putting civilians on our streets to address this issue.”
Givan criticized the mayor’s grasp of the issue, saying that Alabama National Guardsmen are not civilians once activated.
“He’s wacky, the stuff he’s saying is wacky. He’s becoming unraveled, and it’s showing,” she said. “You’re the mayor of the City of Birmingham and you do not know what the role of the National Guard is.”
