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Mayor says Birmingham Police staffing has improved to 80% amid recruitment push
Summary
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin reported the Birmingham Police Department is operating at 80% of authorized strength, citing recent hires, lateral transfers and ongoing academy classes; officials said the city aims for full staffing by early 2026.
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin told the City Council on June 3 that the Birmingham Police Department (BPD) is operating at roughly 80% of its authorized workforce after months of recruitment and retention efforts.
Woodfin said the city was down 223 officers in November and operating at about 73% at that time; between November and April the department added 37 new officers and 15 lateral transfers. He said 50 recruits began the current academy class on April 7 and that 49 officer positions remained vacant. The mayor said an academy that starts Aug. 4 already has 84 people who completed physical-agility screening and that 12 passed that screening to move to the next step. He added the city expects another academy to start in November and said the administration is “well on our way to being fully staffed by the first quarter of 2026.”
Woodfin stressed that recruitment is focused on “quality” as well as quantity, and noted continued interest from lateral transfers in Jefferson County and other states.
Council members asked for ongoing updates and for the administration to continue supporting academy throughput and lateral hiring. The mayor’s report said the city currently has 49 vacancies and is tracking multiple academy cohorts and lateral-transfer activity as part of the retention implementation plan the council approved in November.
Ending: The mayor framed the staffing gains as progress tied to a multi-pronged recruitment and retention plan. City officials asked council members to continue directing constituents with hiring interest to scheduled agility and recruitment events and to expect further staffing updates as the city runs successive academy classes.
