Birmingham Police Department West Precinct

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Birmingham Police Department West Precinct is a patrol division of the Birmingham Police Department, headquartered at 2236 47th Street Ensley. It is commanded by Captain Anja Doyle.

The West Precinct began as the Ensley Precinct, covering the west side of the city. The precinct's former brick and stone-clad headquarters building at 616 19th Street Ensley was constructed in 1967 and initially housed 30 patrol officers. The West Precinct presently covers about 65 square miles and more than 80,000 residents in 39 of Birmingham's 99 neighborhoods, with 132 patrol officers on duty.

Under Captain James Wiley, officers in the West Precinct were encouraged to focus on being visible on beat rather than using time to rack up traffic citations and arrests for minor infractions. The rate of misdemeanor arrests dropped by 4,000 from 2009, but overall reports of crime also dropped significantly with home burglaries down 15%, auto thefts down 7%, and business robberies down nearly 67%.

Construction of the current precinct office at Five Points West was approved in late 2011 and celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony on January 25, 2012. Work was delayed amidst revisions, and progress stalled as disputes arose between the city and contractor Chris Woods. The $2 million building was dedicated in honor of former Deputy Chief Leroy Stover on March 16, 2015.

Commanders

References

  • Ruisi, Anne (February 5, 2012) "Some in Ensley wish new West Precinct would remain in their community." The Birmingham News
  • Paepcke, Jon (June 6, 2014) "13 INVESTIGATES: Postponed precinct progress. Alabama's 13/WVTM-TV
  • Robinson, Carol (March 16, 2015) "Long-awaited police West Precinct opens; dedicated to first black officer." The Birmingham News
  • Archibald, John (January 21, 2022) "The dark roots of policing for profit -- and what to do about it." The Birmingham News

External links

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