Birmingham Police Chief speaks out on gang violence and homicides in the city
POLICE HEADQUARTERS, LISA YOU ASKED THIS OF THE CHIEF TODAY. >>. I HAVE DID IT, IN THE PAST IT’S REFERRED >> I HAVE DONE IT, IN THE PAST IT HAS REFERRED TO GROUPS CAUSING TROUBLE AND COMMITTING CRIMES IN BIRMINGHAM, BUT STOPPED CALLING THEM GANGS. SO TODAY I ASKED FOR CLARITY. WITH OVER 100 KILLINGS ALREADY THIS YEAR, 2022 IS ON TRACK TO BE ONE OF THE DEADLIEST YEARS IN RECENT HISTORY. BUT WHO IS COMMITTING THESE CRIMES? MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN, TWEEE THIS ON SEPTEMBER 4 TO CALL SPECIFIC GANGS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUE. THE CHIEF OF POLICE WAS NOT ALSO WILLING TO USE THAT TERM. THESE ARE WEAKLY ORGANIZED GROUPS, IS THEY A GANG BY DEFINITION? MAYBE NOT, THEY ARE SOMEWHAT A PROBLEM THAT WE DO NOT PROVIDE EYES, BUT IS THIS THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROBLEMS? NOPE. >> CHIEF THURMOND SAYS MOST OF THE KILLINGS THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN RELATED TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION. >> WE HAD TWO GENTLEMEN ENTERING DOWNTOWN ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND ONE SHOT AT THE OTHER, IT’S NOT GANG RELATED. WE HAD THE ONE ON SUNDAY, TWO GUYS ENGAGE WITH A LONGTIME BEEF WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT AND ONE SHOOTS ON THE OTHER, SO IT’S HARD TO INTERVENE WHEN YOU HAVE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS FOR WARN THEM. >> CHIEF SAYS TO REALLY TURN THE TIDE THE COMMUNITY MUST STRENGTHEN AND REPORT CURRENT DISPUTES BEFORE THEY BECOME DEAD. WE TALKED TO SOME OFFICERS WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO GO ON CAMERA BUT THEY BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS DOUBLE. FIRST, SEVERAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO KEEP CHILDREN OFF THE STREETS, DRUGS AND GANGS HAVE DISAPPEARED, CHIEF SAYS IT IS BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT THEY ARE SLOWLY STARTING TO REOPEN. AN OFFICER SAYS THERE IS A HUGE SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS IN THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE WAS SO FAR TO SAY THE COMMUNITY MUST KNOW WE ARE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY. THE CHIEF SAYS THEY ARE SHORT RIGHT NOW, BUT NO MORE THAN MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE. IT WILL NOT RELEASE THE EXACT NUMBER OF CURRENT BPD AGENTS FOR SECURITY REASONS.
Birmingham Police Chief speaks out on gang violence and homicides in the city
Updated: 2:01 PM CDT September 15, 2022
With over 100 homicides already this year, 2022 is shaping up to be one of Birmingham’s deadliest years in recent history. But who is committing these crimes? Mayor Randall Woodfin called specific gangs part of the problem. The police chief was not so willing to use that term. WVTM 13’s Lisa Crane reports in the video above.
With over 100 homicides already this year, 2022 is shaping up to be one of Birmingham’s deadliest years in recent history. But who is committing these crimes? Mayor Randall Woodfin called specific gangs part of the problem. The police chief was not so willing to use that term. WVTM 13’s Lisa Crane reports in the video above.
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