Having lost too many family members too soon to the gun violence epidemic, Mayor Woodfin knows firsthand the importance of a wraparound approach to violent crime reduction. Whether in our schools or our streets, our approach to public safety should be built around equal opportunity for all. From ending gun violence and domestic violence to reforming our city’s crisis response infrastructure, keeping residents safe means investing in restorative justice and getting guns off the street.
Policy Priorities
Investing in alternative approaches to gun violence prevention.
In Birmingham, non-justifiable homicides are down 50% year-over-year. But our work isn’t finished. Too many parents have an empty seat at the dinner table. Too many moms are raising their children alone. That’s why we’ll invest in a variety of alternative approaches to gun violence, including police athletic teams, mental health counseling in schools, and co-curricular conflict resolution programs.
Using real-time technology to close investigations faster and prevent violence before it starts.
Over the past four years, we’ve invested a record $12 million in public and grant funding into developing the Birmingham Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, and we’ve launched Connect Birmingham to send live camera feeds to the RTCC, ultimately expediting police investigations. Now, we’ll empower residents through neighborhood watch to keep an eye on their blocks and prevent crime before it happens by strengthening the bonds of community.
Continuing to ban no-knock, high-risk raids and carotid restraints.
Since the tragic killing of Breonna Taylor, the Birmingham Police Department has prohibited engaging in high-risk raids. This includes the use of deadly tactics like carotid restraints and no-knock warrants except in cases with extreme civilian danger. During the Woodfin administration, BPD had committed to protecting the lives of citizens while we work to keep our city safe.
Supporting independent civilian review of our police department.
In 2021, Mayor Woodfin established Birmingham’s first ever civilian review board, supporting authentic community voice, involvement and engagement in community policing. We’re committed to ensuring citizens get the justice they deserve, from independent second looks at their cases to policy reviews.
Randall’s Record
What We’ve Done So Far
- Reduced year-over-year homicide deaths by 50%.
- Invested $15.8 million in recruitment and retention so the Birmingham Police Department is fully staffed.
- Built our Real-Time Crime Center designed to give officers tech-powered visibility into crime-prone areas with a record $12 million investment.
- Recovered and traced nearly 5,000 illegal guns from our streets.
- Created the Drug Nuisance Abatement Team to hold neglectful property owners accountable for illegal dumping and blight.
- Expanded the scope of Pardons for Progress by blanket pardoning 15,000+ misdemeanor marijuana convictions.
- Forgiven nearly 800,000 parking tickets for working families, low-income residents, and young people.
