Midfield Police Department: Difference between revisions

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Midfield Police Department''' is the public safety and law enforcement arm of the City of [[Midfield]]. The current interim chief is [[Frank Belcher]], who assumed the duties of [[Henry Dudley]] after he left the department in June [[2010]].
The '''Midfield Police Department''' is the public safety and law enforcement arm of the City of [[Midfield]].


Dudley had served only a year as chief after the retirement of [[Ron White]]. At the time, the city was contemplating dissolving its police force and becoming part of the [[Jefferson County Sheriff's Office]] jurisdiction. Dudley had already applied for a transfer to the [[Hueytown Police Department]] when Midfield mayor [[Gary Richardson]] convinced him to stay on as chief.
The department was founded as a volunteer force shortly after the city was incorporated in [[1953]]. with a temporary station behind [[Williams Hardware]]. Steelworker [[Curt Kuykendall]] volunteered as chief initially, with [[Henry Holmes]] succeeding him as the first paid chief.
 
In [[1955]] [[James W. Morris]] took over as chief and kept an office at [[Midfield City Hall]] while operations moved into a renovated building on the opposite corner of [[Woodward Road]] and [[B. Y. Williams Sr Drive|Midfield Street]]. At that time that force consisted of 4 full-time trained officers and a warden supervising the 6-bunk [[Midfield City Jail]]. Morris soon expanded his force into a combined police and firefighting department, using the same trained officers to cover shifts and supplementing them with volunteer firefighters when the need arose. An automated telephone system alerted all officers and volunteers of emergencies. By [[1968]] the department maintained a fleet of two fire trucks, two police patrol cars and a motorcycle. One of the two police cars was replaced each year.
 
When Midfield was brought under the [[Personnel Board of Jefferson County]] in [[1971]], the city was forced hire police officers separately from firefighters. Morris continued to lead both departments as Midfield's Public Safety Director. When a new City Hall was completed, the older building was converted into a new police and fire station.
 
On [[March 24]], [[1980]] the city split off the [[Midfield Fire Department]] as a separate entity, and hired a new full-time fire chief. Morris stayed on as chief of police. The department moved to another new City Hall in the former [[Alabama State Highway Patrol]] station on [[Bessemer Highway]] in [[1981]].
 
On [[October 24]], [[1983]] Midfield's City Council approved an ordinance submitted by Mayor [[Norton Burgess]] to re-combine their police and fire departments under one [[Midfield Department of Public Safety]]. [[William Harris (Midfield Fire Chief)|William Harris]] was demoted from fire chief to fire lieutenant as Morris resumed leadership of the combined department. He retired on [[September 30]], [[1989]], after which time, police and firefighting functions were again divided into separate departments. Another move to combine them in the 1990s was scuttled due to complexity of meeting the Personnel Board's requirements.
 
Lieutenant [[James Hayes]] took over the Police Department until retiring in 1994. The city then hired [[Ron White]] as the new police chief. He retired in [[2009]] and was succeeded by [[Henry Dudley]], who served for less than a year. He applied for a transfer to the [[Hueytown Police Department]] when the city council began discussions about dissolving the police department and becoming part of the [[Jefferson County Sheriff's Office]] jurisdiction. Mayor [[Gary Richardson]] convinced him to stay on as chief through June [[2010]]. [[Frank Belcher]] was promoted from within the department to succeed him. The current chief, [[Jesse Bell]], was promoted after Belcher retired in [[2019]].
 
As of [[2024]] the Midfield Police Department operates only on weekdays, with Sheriff's deputies responding to calls on weekends. It employs 18 sworn officers and 5 civilians. The patrol division operates on three 8-hour shifts with additional officers during busy hours. The detective division manages investigations, evidence handling, and community relations, with an additional resource officer posted to [[Midfield High School]].
 
<!--In 1976, Winfred E. Jackson from Fairfield Highlands got elected as Mayor on a platform to build a fire station in the Highlands. With a mandate from the people he was soon having Midfield’s first fire station built from the ground up as a fire station rather than remodeling an old building. The new station was built on a lot at the corner of 9th Avenue and 9th Street. A new fire truck was also purchased and the City was now operating two fire stations.
 
In 1979 the Midfield City Council voted to hire the City’s first full time fire chief. The Jefferson County Personnel Board was notified to begin the process of establishing a certified list of candidates. William Harris, a former lieutenant in the Birmingham Fire Department was hired as Midfield’s first fire chief. He reported to work on March 8, 1980 to supervise the nine firefighters in two stations.
 
With urging from the new fire chief, the council decided that with all departments moving from the old city hall except the fire, now would be the time to consolidate firefighting resources into one fire station that would be centrally located to serve both areas of the city equally, instead of being split into two fire stations to serve two areas. Plans were made, contracts were let and the new fire station on Woodfield Rd. (now MLK Jr. B’lvd) was officially completed on November 23, 1983. The other two stations closed and the Highlands Station was remodeled to become a Senior Citizens Center.-->
 
==Chiefs==
* [[Curt Kuykendall]], 1954
* [[Henry Holmes]], 1955
* [[James W. Morris]], 1955-September 30, 1989
* [[James Hayes]], 1989-1994
* [[Ron White]], 1994-2009
* [[Henry Dudley]], September 1, 2009-June 29, 2010
* [[Frank Belcher]], June 29, 2010-September 2019
* [[Jesse Bell]], October 2019-


{{stub}}
==References==
==References==
* Norris, Toraine (September 23, 2009) "New police chief aims for friendly, proactive force in Midfield, Alabama." ''Birmingham News''
* Campbell, Joe (July 4, 1954) "[http://midfieldchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/MVPD.jpg With your neighbors-Midfield Proud of Policemen]" {{BN}}
* Norris, Toraine (June 28, 2010) "Midfield names Belcher interim police chief to replace Chief Dudley." ''Birmingham News''
* {{BN}} (November 8, 1967)
* Norris, Toraine (September 23, 2009) "New police chief aims for friendly, proactive force in Midfield, Alabama." {{BN}}
* Norris, Toraine (June 28, 2010) "Midfield names Belcher interim police chief to replace Chief Dudley." {{BN}}
* Robinson, Carol (September 26, 2019) "Frank Belcher retires as Midfield police chief; heads to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office." {{BN}}


==External links==
==External links==
[http://www.cityofmidfield.com/police.html Midfield Police Department] at cityofmidfield.com
* [https://www.cityofmidfield.com/?page_id=15 Midfield Police Department] at cityofmidfield.com
* [http://midfieldchamber.com/?page_id=356 Midfield Public Safety Department] history at midfieldchamber.com


[[Category:Midfield Police Department|*]]
[[Category:Midfield Police Department|*]]
[[Category:1953 establishments]]

Latest revision as of 15:12, 22 April 2024

The Midfield Police Department is the public safety and law enforcement arm of the City of Midfield.

The department was founded as a volunteer force shortly after the city was incorporated in 1953. with a temporary station behind Williams Hardware. Steelworker Curt Kuykendall volunteered as chief initially, with Henry Holmes succeeding him as the first paid chief.

In 1955 James W. Morris took over as chief and kept an office at Midfield City Hall while operations moved into a renovated building on the opposite corner of Woodward Road and Midfield Street. At that time that force consisted of 4 full-time trained officers and a warden supervising the 6-bunk Midfield City Jail. Morris soon expanded his force into a combined police and firefighting department, using the same trained officers to cover shifts and supplementing them with volunteer firefighters when the need arose. An automated telephone system alerted all officers and volunteers of emergencies. By 1968 the department maintained a fleet of two fire trucks, two police patrol cars and a motorcycle. One of the two police cars was replaced each year.

When Midfield was brought under the Personnel Board of Jefferson County in 1971, the city was forced hire police officers separately from firefighters. Morris continued to lead both departments as Midfield's Public Safety Director. When a new City Hall was completed, the older building was converted into a new police and fire station.

On March 24, 1980 the city split off the Midfield Fire Department as a separate entity, and hired a new full-time fire chief. Morris stayed on as chief of police. The department moved to another new City Hall in the former Alabama State Highway Patrol station on Bessemer Highway in 1981.

On October 24, 1983 Midfield's City Council approved an ordinance submitted by Mayor Norton Burgess to re-combine their police and fire departments under one Midfield Department of Public Safety. William Harris was demoted from fire chief to fire lieutenant as Morris resumed leadership of the combined department. He retired on September 30, 1989, after which time, police and firefighting functions were again divided into separate departments. Another move to combine them in the 1990s was scuttled due to complexity of meeting the Personnel Board's requirements.

Lieutenant James Hayes took over the Police Department until retiring in 1994. The city then hired Ron White as the new police chief. He retired in 2009 and was succeeded by Henry Dudley, who served for less than a year. He applied for a transfer to the Hueytown Police Department when the city council began discussions about dissolving the police department and becoming part of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction. Mayor Gary Richardson convinced him to stay on as chief through June 2010. Frank Belcher was promoted from within the department to succeed him. The current chief, Jesse Bell, was promoted after Belcher retired in 2019.

As of 2024 the Midfield Police Department operates only on weekdays, with Sheriff's deputies responding to calls on weekends. It employs 18 sworn officers and 5 civilians. The patrol division operates on three 8-hour shifts with additional officers during busy hours. The detective division manages investigations, evidence handling, and community relations, with an additional resource officer posted to Midfield High School.


Chiefs

References

External links

Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Midfield_Police_Department&oldid=214850"