Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens told 1819 News on Friday that the commission is “completely against” the Birmingham Police Department housing those they arrest on misdemeanor charges in the county jail.
Though Birmingham is no longer Alabama’s largest city, the Birmingham area remains the largest metropolitan region in the state. In 2023, the City of Birmingham faced several problems, from a wave of violent crime that continued into 2023 from 2022 to a severe truancy problem in its public school system that drew the ire of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
Three separate deadly shootings on Saturday brought Birmingham’s homicide investigation total in 2023 to over 120 as the year nears its end.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Birmingham City Council, councilwoman Crystal Smitherman told Mayor Randall Woodfin she was “at a loss of words” in response to recent shootings in the Five Points South neighborhood, one of which she said happened last weekend.
The Birmingham Fraternal Order of Police is working with the city to implement a take-home car program for the Birmingham Police Department, which it hopes will reduce crime and retain officers.
The Birmingham Police Department launched a voluntary program on Wednesday for Birmingham residents and businesses with cameras to register their devices with the police to help solve crimes.
Minor High School band director Johnny Mims wouldn’t have been tased at a recent football game if the incident happened at a majority white school, according to his attorney.
A recent video has emerged that allegedly shows Birmingham Police Department officers deploying a Taser against a Minor High School band director before his arrest and subsequent criminal charging.
Birmingham City councilman Hunter Williams spoke to 1819 News on Thursday about how legislation from a disgraced former lawmaker led to a power imbalance in the city government, hindering the council from serving its constituents today.
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.