Public Safety Archives - Page 14 of 14

Public Safety

Crowd Protests in Kelly Ingram Park in Wake of Floyd Killing

UPDATED — Spurred by the police killing of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, nearly 100 persons gathered at Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park Friday evening to rally for an end to hatred and racism. Alabama Rally Against Injustice has coordinated another protest that began about 5 p.m. Saturday. Speeches from politicians and civil rights activists are set for the evening at Kelly Ingram Park. Cedric Hatcher of Song Ministry was at Friday's protest and said, “I want to bring awareness that this is not just a Minneapolis problem. It's a Birmingham problem. It's an Atlanta problem. It's a New York problem. It's a Detroit problem. It's a California problem. It's a Texas problem. “It's a problem all over the country,” Hatcher continued. “Am I my brother's keeper or am I gonna keep killing my brother?” The group's acronym stands for Saving Our Next Generation. Speeches and the release of black balloons were sandwiched between a pair of marches around the perimeter of the park. The racially mixed assembly chanted the name of George Floyd, the man who died during an arrest while a police officer kneeled on his neck. The officer has been fired and today was charged with third-degree murder. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

The Big Picture: Woodfin’s Team Updates Residents About Progress on Public Safety, Economic Opportunities and Other Initiatives

A black-and-white photo of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin — shot in profile, eyes fixed in an expression of steely determination — hovered over the stage of the Alabama School of Fine Arts’ Dorothy Jemison Day Theater on Thursday night. But beneath that photo, seated casually in an onstage armchair, the actual Woodfin seemed comfortable ceding the spotlight to members of his team, watching quietly as they presented updates on his administration’s strategic plan — “The Big Picture,” as the evening was branded. Woodfin initially unveiled that strategic plan, The Woodfin Way, in October; Thursday’s event served as a promised six-month check-up on its progress. Over the course of roughly 90 minutes, members of Woodfin’s administration gave short presentations on six key goals: public safety, public improvements, workforce development, economic opportunity, effective government and social justice. Read more.

by Sam Prickett