Law enforcement and prosecutors say Alabama’s new state ban on Glock switches will result in more arrests and convictions and less violence in communities.
After a tragic year marked by the deaths of 152 Birmingham residents and a devastating shooting at a local nightclub in Five Points South, which involved the use of a Glock switch, local officials say the state ban on machine gun conversion devices is a step toward making the city safer.
As of March 19, 2025, possession of a Glock switch could now result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, AL.com reports.
“State law gives a local tool to our Birmingham police that, when they capture someone in possession of a Glock switch, they don’t necessarily have to go to the federal government,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “They can literally go to their local DA to expedite and keep this process going. This on top of those federal resources allows for state resources to engage at the exact same time…This was needed, this was important.”
Local and federal officials say they hope the new legislation will result in a more efficient apprehension of people in possession of Glock switches. But advocates say it will take more than a state ban, policing and prosecution to solve Alabama’s homicide problem.
The law bans all devices that turn a pistol into a machine gun.
Interim Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said the department started seeing Glock switches on the streets in 2021 with the devices becoming more popular in 2023. He said their popularity has only risen since then.
