Birmingham Police Department

The Birmingham Police Department is the department responsible for law enforcement, security and crime prevention in the city of Birmingham. The chief of police is A. C. Roper. The department is headquartered at the Birmingham Police Department Central Headquarters at 1701 1st Avenue North and currently employs about 750 sworn officers.

In his 2008 State of the City address Mayor Larry Langford pledged to put 50 additional officers on the streets. Since taking office he has also supported pay raises for officers and gotten City Council approval for technology purchases -- specifically for 3-wheel personal vehicles and for surveillance cameras in high-crime areas.

The department is divided into several divisions, each headed by a deputy chief:

Administrative division

The Administrative division, headed by Ray Tubbs handles internal operations and oversees the department's Technology Unit.

Detectives Bureau

The Detectives Bureau, led by Herman Hinton investigates crimes and prepares cases for prosecution. The division is divided into units specializing in auto theft, burglary, white-collar crime, family services (juvenile misdemeanors, missing persons, animal cruelty and gang activity), robbery, and homicide (homicide, felony assault, attempted murder, police-involved shootings, felony firearms discharge and kidnapping). Detectives also participate in "Project ICE", a multi-departmental task force which investigates federal firearms violations.

The department is the only one in the state to operate its own firearms examiners unit which matches ballistic evidence against a national database of firearms signatures.

Patrol Division

The Patrol Division oversees regular patrols conducted out of Birmingham's four precincts. Mike Fisher heads the division as Deputy Chief.

North Precinct

The Birmingham Police Department North Precinct is headquartered at 2600 31st Avenue North.

South Precinct

The Birmingham Police Department South Precinct is headquartered at 1320 19th Street South.

East Precinct

The Birmingham Police Department East Precinct is headquartered at 600 Red Lane Road.

West Precinct

The Birmingham Police Department West Precinct is headquartered at 716 19th Street Ensley.

Support Services

The Deputy Chief in charge of Support Services is Faye Lampkin, who formerly commanded the East Precinct.

Tactical division

The department's tactical division is comprised of the city's highway patrol, mounted patrol, motor scouts, canine unit and bomb unit.

Vice/narcotics unit

A separate division of the department investigates drug and vice activity. The unit is comprised of specialized teams which specialize in highway interdiction, drug houses, and long-term investigations into drug operations. The vice team investigates illegal alcohol and tobacco sales, gambling, prostitution, counterfeit merchandise, business license violations and complaints involving bars and clubs.

Officers in the narcotics unit participate in several federal task forces, including the Weed and Seed Task Force, which focuses on restoring neighborhoods through targeted enforcement and community participation.

References

• Robinson, Carol (September 8, 2007) "Local firearms unit proves its mettle in solving gun crimes." Birmingham News
• Robinson, Carol (February 9, 2008) "Police Chief Roper names top commanders, unveils plan for improving the Birmingham department." Birmingham News

External links

• Birmingham Police Department at birminghamal.gov
• Birmingham Police Department photos at Dave's Place