Category: Public Safety

Birmingham Council OKS Citizen Observer Patrol Unit Despite Safety Concerns

The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday narrowly passed a measure to create a citizen observer patrol unit, with some council members expressing concerns about safety for both the unit and the public.

“In your opinion, do you not think this a liability nightmare for the city of Birmingham,” Councilor Hunter Williams asked city attorneys about the unit, which would be composed of 200 volunteers overseen by the police department.

City attorney Nicole King told the council, “I can say, with the type of training that is in place, that this will be a success, but of course you can never anticipate.”

The council also approved a measure establishing a police department-trained auxiliary police force of volunteers. Read more.

Birmingham Council Allocates $2M DOJ Grant to Expand Youth Violence Prevention Program

The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday voted to give nearly $2 million from a federal grant to expand a local violence prevention program. The Restore program, which offers mental health and case management services to Birmingham youths, has covered children aged 15 to 19, but the initiative is being expanded to include children as young as 11. Read more.

Birmingham Council Expresses Sympathy for Shooting Victims, Including Mayor’s Pregnant Cousin

The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution expressing sympathies for six people killed in recent shootings. The victims included a city employee as well as the pregnant cousin of Mayor Randall Woodfin.

In his comments to the council Tuesday, the mayor expressed his frustration with the lack of leads in finding suspects in the shootings.

“When you have something like this happen in your community, it’s important we enact justice as swiftly as possible. But it turns out BPD can’t do it themselves … it takes people with information to come forward,” Woodfin said. Read more.