City of Talladega Blog

(Talladega, AL) Talladega Police Department officers Jaih’el Chavers and LaTonio Meadows graduated from the Montgomery Police Academy on February 14, 2023, and are now certified police officers. They are pictured in Montgomery with Talladega Police Chief Diane Thomas. 

Officer Meadows was born and raised in Talladega and graduated from Talladega County Central High School.  He served in the United States Army for 7 1/2 years. Officer Chavers is a native of Jefferson County, Alabama, and graduated from Homewood High School. He is currently active in the National Guard.   Both officers reside in Talladega.

“The Talladega Police Department has been working hard to better serve and protect our city.  Adding new officers is a tremendous help,” said Talladega Police Chief Diane Thomas. “Through news conferences, workshops and presentations, I have sought to strengthen ties in the community, provide valuable safety tips for residents and encourage the community to share information that might prevent a crime or lead to an arrest.  While I am pleased that crime has gone down, I am committed to continuous improvement.  By expanding the police force, increasing training, and fighting crime strategically, we can continue to build a safer community.”  

Murder rates in Talladega dropped from eight in 2021 to five in 2022.  Burglaries dropped from 121 in 2021 to 63 in 2022.  Robberies dropped from ten in 2021 to three in 2022. Rapes dropped from eight in 2021 to four in 2022. In addition to working diligently to reduce crime, the department has worked successfully to increase road safety.  While a total of 407 citations were given in 2021, over 2068 citations were given in 2022.

“Under Chief Thomas’ leadership, the Talladega Police Department has done an excellent job of reducing crime in our community.  She is an innovative leader who understands the importance of having and utilizing every available resource to make our community safer,” said City Manager Seddrick Hill Sr.  

Chief Thomas noted that supportive city leaders helped the police department to better address crime.  “I thank the city manager, the mayor and city council for approving our requests for equipment and training, which has been so essential to our success,”  Chief Thomas stated.