| Agencyname: | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency |
| Abbreviation: | ALEA |
| Logocaption: | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Seal |
| Formedyear: | 2015 |
| Formedmonthday: | January 1 |
| Preceding1: | 12 legacy agencies |
| Country: | United States |
| Countryabbr: | US |
| Divtype: | State |
| Divname: | Alabama |
| Police: | Yes |
| Headquarters: | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Chief1name: | Hal Taylor |
| Chief1position: | Secretary of Law Enforcement |
| Child1agency: | State Bureau of Investigations |
| Child2agency: | Alabama Department of Public Safety |
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is a law enforcement agency serving the U.S. state of Alabama. It exists within the Executive Branch of State Government to coordinate public safety in Alabama.[1] It was formed on 1 January 2015 by the merger of 12 state law enforcement agencies.[2] [3] The Secretary, its chief executive, is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Governor of Alabama.[4] ALEA is divided into two functional divisions, the Department of Public Safety and the State Bureau of Investigations. The Secretary of ALEA is responsible for appointing a Director of both divisions, after consultation with the Governor.[5] [6]
The creation of ALEA was proposed by Senator Del Marsh and others in Senate Bill 108 (SB108) during the 2013 regular session of the Alabama Legislature.[7] The bill passed both houses and was signed by then Governor Robert Bentley on 19 March 2013 as Act 2013-67 and codified in the Code of Alabama 1975, Title 41 - State Government, Chapter 27 - Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.[8]
According to Senator Marsh, the intent of SB108 was to operate public safety "...in a more efficient, cost-effective way.”[9] This bill and its proposed consolidation of preexisting state-level law enforcement agencies (Legacy Agencies) was based on recommendations of a Public Safety Study Group created in 2012 to streamline the state's 22 agencies with law enforcement functions and cut spending.[10]