Mayor Woodfin details implementation of crime-commission recommendations, urges residents to report illegal dumping

Mayor Randall L. Woodfin told the Birmingham City Council on Feb. 11 that the city is moving to implement recommendations from the Independent Crime Commission report and described steps already under way on police staffing, community violence intervention and enforcement against illegal dumping.

Woodfin said the commission made 82 recommendations and that "about 53% of those recommendations are actively being worked on," with roughly 40 to 42 items in planning, prelaunch or progress stages. He told council members the city will deliver monthly status reports and post updates to the city website.

Why it matters: the commission's report outlines changes aimed at reducing homicides and gun violence in Birmingham. Council members pressed the mayor about state-level court backlogs the city cannot directly fix; Woodfin said progress depends in part on cooperation from judges and the state.

Woodfin and staff highlighted several steps they said are already in motion. The mayor noted the council previously approved a $16,000,000 recruitment and retention program for the police department; the department is reviewing about 90 candidates from the first screening phase for an academy class next month. Woodfin also said the department has pre-launched a reserve-officer program and has started early planning on focused deterrence and weekly shooting reviews.

"We review the not we, but the police department has is currently reviewing 90 candidates out of the first phase of the screening process for the March Academy class," Woodfin said. He added that the city would provide a more detailed update on the reserve-officer program in March.

The mayor described community violence intervention work entering prelaunch and referenced plans to expand hospital-linked violence-intervention efforts into emergency departments, add street-outreach teams and increase shooting reviews. He said related planning will continue through March.

Woodfin also described non-police interventions tied to public safety, including blight removal and code enforcement. He said city contractors demolished 14 structures in January and Public Works demolished another four for a total of 18 structures removed that month.

On the limits of local authority, Councilor Moore asked about the backlog in state courts and whether the city has channels to speed adjudication. Woodfin said he is "encouraged by the commitment" from leaders of the 10th Judicial Circuit and that the city is pressing state partners about options such as a rocket docket or assigning specialty judges for violent-crime trials.

Illegal dumping: Woodfin used part of the update to relaunch the "Don't Be a Dummy" public-education campaign and urged residents to document suspected illegal dumping rather than confront dumpers. He said contractors and others who illegally dump in the city may face up to 180 days in city jail and urged citizens to record license plates or take video to help enforcement.

"The rules of engagement is not to engage at all. It is simply to do everything else you do, when you see things. Pull out your cell phone ... and help us catch people in the act," Woodfin said, adding that public works has dedicated litter teams and will increase removal work in February depending on weather and schedule.

What happens next: Woodfin said the administration will continue monthly status reports on implementation and return to council with further updates on recruitment, reserve officers and violence-intervention work in March.

Sources: remarks by Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and questions from Councilor Moore at the Feb. 11 Birmingham City Council meeting.