Tag: Public Safety

Birmingham Applies for Grants to Beef Up Surveillance, Readies to Open Real-Time Crime Center

Sam Prickett,

The city of Birmingham will apply for state and federal grants to purchase new license plate readers and high-definition surveillance cameras, the City Council decided Tuesday.

It also increased its contract for computer-aided dispatch maintenance services. The city plans to launch its “real-time crime center” later this month to combat the city’s rising rate of violent crime. Read more.

Alabama Becomes First in Nation to Certify All ALEA Officers in Sensory Inclusive Practices

Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News,

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is the first state police department in the country to have all of its officers certified in sensory-inclusive practices, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday. “Too often we have citizens with sensory issues or folks who have PTSD, autism, dementia and a whole host of special needs that, frankly, our heroes in blue haven’t been trained to deal with up to this point,” Ivey said. Read more.

4 Things to Know About Birmingham’s Homicides So Far This Year

Miranda Fulmore, WBHM,


Scroll in and click on each location to read more about the person who was killed. A red ‘X’ indicates a homicide. A blue ‘X’ indicates an officer-involved shooting where a civilian was shot.

The city of Birmingham has recorded 63 homicides so far in 2021, according to data from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

Last year, Birmingham hit a record for the highest number of homicides in 25 years. The city’s police chief, Patrick Smith, told WBHM that even with that record high, the city fared well in comparison to other areas across the country.

“It could have been a whole lot worse,” Smith said. “Certainly, we don’t want to see the loss of life anywhere at all. And I wish that we could do more. But we’re trying to work within the confines of what we have as a department.” Read more.

Economic Opportunity, Community Policing Among Solutions to Birmingham’s Gun Violence

Cody Short, WBHM,

Birmingham has been riddled with crime for decades, and people are concerned about the increasing number of homicides. In 2020, violent crimes such as rape and robberies decreased, but gun-related violent crimes increased almost 20%. Last year ended with a total of 122 homicides, the most in the last 25 years. So far in 2021, there have been at least 60 homicides in the city of Birmingham, according to data from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. Read more.

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  COVID-19

  • State Reports 133 COVID Deaths, 3,366 New Cases in Thursday Update

    Alabama added 3,366 new cases of COVID-19 and 133 deaths from the disease in Thursday’s daily update by the state Department of Public Health.

    There have been 13,798 deaths from the coronavirus over the course of the pandemic. The average number of deaths added by the ADPH continued to grow, reaching 134 a day in the update Thursday. That is almost seven times the average on 20 deaths a day at the beginning of September. There is a lag time of about two weeks for reporting and confirming COVID deaths, officials say.

    The state has recorded 781,915 COVID cases so far, averaging 2,864 a day over the past week. The average number of new cases per day has fallen from 5,538 on Sept. 1 to 2,864 on Thursday.
    Read more.

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  • Ivey’s Call Sets Prison Special Session Agenda

    MONTGOMERY — Lawmakers next week will focus on prison construction and funding legislation and two criminal justice reform bills, according to the special session proclamation released by Gov. Kay Ivey. Read more.

  • Lawmakers Estimate New Elmore, Escambia Prison Costs

    The construction of the two men’s prison, which the Alabama Legislature will debate and possibly approve next week, will cost an estimated $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion. Improvements at other prisons and a new women’s prison will add to that amount, State House leaders say. Read more.

  • Draft Bill Closes 5 Prisons, Leaves Fate of Others to Be Determined

    The prison construction bill the Alabama Legislature will consider in next week’s special session expressly closes five prisons in the state but leaves the futures of others up to decision makers at a later date.

    Men’s facilities Hamilton Aged and Infirmed Center, Staton, Elmore and Kilby and the Julia Tutwiler women’s prison would be closed under the bill in its draft form.

    The prison plan’s first phase includes two new 4,000-bed prisons in Elmore and Escambia counties and allows the state to borrow up to $785 million for their construction. Phase two includes a new women’s prison, though there’s no dedicated funding for that project in the bill. Read more.

  • State House’s COVID-19 Restrictions Eased for Upcoming Special Session

    After restricted public access the past two regular legislative sessions, next week’s special session of the Alabama Legislature will largely be free of COVID-19 protocols.

    Secretary of the Senate Pat Harris said that people who aren’t vaccinated are asked to wear masks, as is the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but there will be no enforcement of that request.

    “We’re asking people to use common sense,” Harris said.

    The Senate gallery will again be open to the public, Harris said, but distancing in committee rooms will still be in place.

    “We’re not going to pack the hearing rooms,” Harris said. 
    Read more.

  • Will Special Session Include Sentencing Reform Measures?

    At the very end of the Alabama Legislature’s 2021 Regular Session in May, a slate of four criminal justice bills died before getting a vote in the Senate.

    The bills, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, received bi-partisan support in the House and looked to be a lock to go to the governor’s desk. But things can get testy between the chambers on the final days of session and they never came up for a final vote.

    “Sometimes with these things, you just run out of time,” Hill told Alabama Daily News on Monday.

    Now, Hill is prepared to file the bills again in the special session on prison construction, should they fit into Gov. Kay Ivey’s special session plan.
    Read more.

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  • Town Hall Meeting Encourages People to Pay Attention to Redistricting

    Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson hosted about 75 people at Lawson State Community College Tuesday night to talk about redistricting of legislative and congressional districts and what citizens can do to affect it. “This is not a county initiative,” Tyson said. “This is a people initiative.”

    The town hall meeting was done to answer questions about redistricting and to let citizens know what they can do to possibly affect how districts are redrawn to account for population shifts documented in the 2020 Census. Read more.

  Alabama Prisons

  • Majority of House GOP Said to View New Prison Bill Positively, Democrats Still Discussing

    MONTGOMERY — State Representative Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, who is set to sponsor the new prison building legislation for a likely special session, said he has about 70% of House Republicans responding positively to the bill as of Tuesday afternoon. Read more.

  • Two Construction Companies in Position to Build Alabama Prisons

    Two Alabama construction companies could be in the best position to get state contracts to build two men’s prisons under a proposal lawmakers are now weighing.

    Montgomery-based Caddell and Birmingham-based BL Harbert were both part of teams expected to build prisons under Gov. Kay Ivey’s earlier plan to lease from private developers three new facilities. That plan fell apart in the spring, but some legislative leaders say Caddell and Harbert have been vetted and put in the groundwork to quickly move on construction, if the Legislature can pass a bill that includes borrowing as much as $785 million.

    “It would be problematic if we tried to move out and get somebody else,” Sen. Greg Albritton, who has helped lead discussions on new prisons over the summer, said. “(These companies) are in the best position to do this work.”
    Read more.

  Arf, Arf!

  • Animal Shelters in the Gulf South Are Overflowing With Animals

    When Alie Dennis laid her eyes on Copper at the Metro Animal Shelter in Tuscaloosa, it was love at first sight. Dennis, a University of Alabama student, came to the shelter in hopes of adopting a dog before her final year of school. After playing with the 3-month-old German shepherd Labrador mix for about an hour, she knew he was the one — asking for a 24-hour hold on the dog to talk the adoption over with her family.

    But for Metro Animal Shelter, even 24 hours can be a long time if people are willing to take home a new pet. Last year, shelters in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi were running out of so-called “pandemic puppies.” Now, they are overflowing with dogs, cats, and even hamsters. Read more.

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  Prisons

  • Counties Ask for $10M Reimbursement From State for County Jail Strains

    The Association of County Commissions of Alabama is asking for a $10 million reimbursement from the state for the increased strain on county jails taking care of state inmates.

    The association approved a resolution last week requesting Gov. Kay Ivey and the state Legislature to “retroactively reimburse county governments for their extended care of an increased number of State-responsible inmates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a consequence of the Alabama Department of Corrections’ decision to drastically reduce its intake activities in 2020 and 2021.”

    The reimbursement amount is for the time from Jan. 1, 2021, to July 31, 2021, and accounts for all counties, Abby Fitzpatrick, director of communication and engagement for the association, told Alabama Daily News.
    Read more.

  COVID-19

  • COVID Vaccines Coming to a Football Game Near You

    WBHM

    The Alabama Department of Health is trying to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread by offering the vaccine at college football games across Alabama. Read more.

  • Leave Situation Could Become ‘Crisis’ for Some State Employees

    As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Alabama, a state employee group is asking for flexibility for workers who may have to quarantine.

    The Alabama State Employees Association is asking state agencies and departments to be “as creative as they can in helping all state employees through this pandemic,” Executive Director Mac McArthur told Alabama Daily News.

    “If this goes on for a while or gets worse, I would say this becomes a crisis issue for some of our members,” McArthur said.

    If in another month the delta virus is still increasing in case numbers and causing schools to close, “then I think our members will be looking to the administration (for assistance),” he said.
    Read more.

  • As COVID Cases Rise, Emergency Leave Unavailable for Teachers

    Most Alabama school teachers who are temporarily sent home this school year because they contract COVID-19, are exposed to it or are caring for their own children in quarantine will have to use their personal leave time to do it.

    A few weeks into the academic year, some schools have  had to move students temporarily to virtual learning as COVID-19 cases prevent in-person learning.

    The Alabama Education Association is asking local systems to extend paid emergency leave to staff.
    Read more.

  Higher Education

  • Fewer Alabama High School Grads Going Straight to College; Higher Ed Advertising Options

    The number of students graduating from Alabama high schools and entering state universities and colleges dipped by 5% in 2020 to 41%.

    While that decrease can in part be blamed on COVID-19-caused disruptions, it’s also part of a larger decline that education officials say is a sign of a strong economy. In 2011, 53% of high school graduates went directly to in-state colleges.

    “I think it mostly can be attributed since 2011 to an improvement in the economy,” Jim Purcell, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, said. Post-Great Recession, more jobs have been available to people right out of high school.

    But as the state works to find more skilled workers, higher education leaders are trying new ways to reach them. Purcell said that as people’s careers advance or manufacturing jobs become more automated, training and courses are available.
    Read more.

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  • Commission on Reentry: Further Discussion Needed on Recidivism Definition

    MONTGOMERY –  A new state commission studying how to help released inmates stay out of prison spent much of a meeting Wednesday working on a definition of recidivism that all state agencies can use.

    One of the goals of the Joint Commission on Reentry is to create a definition so the state can implement best practices to aid those leaving prisons and create a safer Alabama.

    Cam Ward, director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole, said during the meeting that since every state agency defines recidivism differently, it is a nearly impossible task to settle on a singular meaning and mission.
    Read more.

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  • Jeffco Commissioner Cautions About Travel Expenses

    Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons urged county employees and department heads Tuesday to be careful of excessive spending when traveling on behalf of the county.

    “I was just making sure that employees understand that we’re still keeping an eye on travel,” Ammons said following the commission’s committee meeting. “It’s not a vacation.”

    Ammons’ eye was drawn to a trip someone from the county compliance office will take Sept. 18-22 to the Compliance & Ethics Institute Conference in Las Vegas. That trip will cost $3,354.55. He said some trips are to places that are expensive, but supervisors should be keeping an eye on expenses.
    Read more.

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  Public Safety

  • Birmingham Police Revise Policies to Disallow No-Knock Warrants

    Birmingham police will no longer use no-knock warrants such as the one that led to the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville last year. Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, Police Chief Patrick Smith and Thomas Beavers, senior pastor of The Star Church, announced that and several other revisions to police policies and procedures during an event Tuesday. Read more.

  Education

  • At Summer Reading Camps, Birmingham Students and Teachers Prepare for Alabama’s New Literacy Law

    Alabama joins 16 other states and Washington D.C. where third graders must pass a reading test – or risk being held back. That’s why this summer, teachers at Birmingham City Schools began coaching their students on reading skills to get a head start on the new retention policy. Read more.

  • Gov. Ivey Advocates Push for Expanding Summer Learning

    Gov. Kay Ivey and education leaders are stressing the importance of expanding summer learning throughout the state as educators seek to help students recover from learning loss sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Ivey on Wednesday toured a program that is funded by Summer Adventures in Learning and helps pair community organizations with schools to create high-quality summer learning programs.

    Jim Wooten, chair of Sail, said Sail aims to reimagine what summer school can look like. He said easily 75% of Alabama students could benefit from summer learning. Read more.

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  Hate in Alabama

  • Alabama is Home to 20 Hate Groups, 838 Operate Nationwide, SPLC Says

    The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual list of hate groups nationwide Feb. 1, and while the number of groups has gone down from last year, there are still 20 Alabama groups that made the cut. Altogether, the SPLC tracked 830 organizations defined as hate groups in 2020. “The number is a barometer, albeit only one, of the level of hate activity in the country,” the website says. Read more.

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