Last year was Birmingham’s most violent year since the early 1990s, and several sources have ranked the city one of the most unsafe in the country. Meanwhile, Birmingham suburbs like Vestavia Hills and Mountian Brook had considerably low crime rates in 2022, and Vestavia even ranked among the safest places to live in the United States.
Birmingham Police Department officers had to respond to five shootings in the city over the weekend which resulted in 11 injuries and two deaths, continuing the violent crime epidemic that has been plaguing the city since at least the beginning of 2022.
As part of his new $554 million city budget for fiscal year 2024, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin proposed another cost of living adjustment for police and firefighters, which would be the third since last May.
Another student at a Birmingham high school died from gunshot wounds Saturday, becoming the latest minor to fall victim to the city’s violent crime epidemic.
On Sunday, Birmingham police detected gunfire around Third Avenue Southwest in the Titusville community and arrived at the scene to find a 17-year student at Jackson Olin High School dead in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
The Birmingham Police Department ramped up security measures last week for a major sporting event and reported zero tournament-related crimes despite the city's ongoing crime epidemic.
In 2022, Birmingham experienced one of its most violent years in modern history, totaling at least 144 homicides. Several of the homicides involved firearms, many of which were drive-by-shootings.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Birmingham Police Department (BPD) Chief Scott Thurmond both weighed in on the killing of Tyre Nichols by several police officers in Memphis on January 7.
The Birmingham Police Department is looking for new ways to combat the reckless driving that continues to plague the city.
The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) announced Monday that it will offer new recruits $5,000.
A law enforcement officer turned himself into Jefferson County Jail on Sunday following a domestic assault investigation.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and a handful of state legislators announced their intention on Tuesday morning to back a bill in the upcoming legislative session in spring 2023, which seeks to impose higher penalties on reckless driving activities.
The Birmingham Police Department is working to improve morale and the working environment for officers, according to a statement provided to media Wednesday. However, some officers say they aren't seeing issues being addressed.