Category: Public Safety
Birmingham Council Sets Hearing on Whether to Revoke Quest Business License
Birmingham leaders next month will discuss revoking the business license of The Quest Club Inc., a private 24-hour nightclub that was the scene of a May shooting in which two men died. Read more.
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.
New Pilot Program Will Offer Housing, Resources to People Leaving Prison
The Birmingham Reentry Alliance will provide wrap-around services to dozens of men and women adjusting to life after prison. 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.
Violent Crime Down Slightly for This Year So Far but Car Thefts Soar
New Alabama Law Aims to Improve Police Interactions With People With Disabilities
Some advocates said the law’s requirement of an hour-long training on working with people with “invisible” disabilities and sensory needs is a good start. Read more.
When Alabama Police Kill, Surviving Family Can Fight Years to See Body Cam Footage. There’s No Guarantee They Will
It was early morning on July 8, 2018, when Joseph Pettaway’s family was told by a neighbor that he had been badly injured by a police dog overnight and taken to the hospital.
He’d been rehabbing a home a block away from where he lived with his mother. His sister, Nancy, set off to see what had happened at the blighted house on the outskirts of Montgomery.
She came upon a grisly scene. Blood was pooled on the pavement, and police officers were hosing it down. The front door was open, and Nancy Pettaway peeked at the hallway inside. “I seen blood, like they had dragged him,” she said. “One of the police told me to get back, and I said I ain’t going nowhere, cause that’s my brother, that’s my brother’s blood, and you gotta tell me what’s going on.”
But the Montgomery police refused to give her any information and later that day confirmed to the news media only that a suspected burglar had died on the scene.
The police who were there when Pettaway was killed wore body cameras that recorded what happened, but Montgomery’s department repeatedly refused to show the footage to the Pettaways, saying the video was “confidential,” and under Alabama law, the family had no right to access the video.
It’s a recurring theme in Alabama, which is among the most restrictive states for disclosing body cam footage when police kill. Read more.
Birmingham Nears Year’s End With Mixed Crime Numbers
The city of Birmingham released its most recent crime stats Friday, showing that, while nonviolent crimes such as burglary, auto theft and theft numbers have increased this year, violent crimes still are down somewhat. Read more.
Deputy Sheriff Charged in On-Duty Shooting
