Birmingham city leaders took on gun violence Tuesday, vowing to crackdown harder on people committing gun crimes and provide more money for the police department.
While President Barack Obama was outlining his executive orders to help curb gun violence nationwide, Mayor William Bell, council members, and Police Chief A. C. Roper talked about problems and solutions close to home during the City Council meeting. Birmingham ended 2015 with its highest homicide rate in several years.
Councilman Steven Hoyt of west Birmingham says too many weapons end up in the hands of the wrong people. He sites last week, when on New Year’s Eve celebratory gunfire rang out in some communities long past the stroke of midnight.
“You know it’s almost like it was Beirut,” Hoyt says. “We ought to have an increased presence in our neighborhoods. We need to be safe. Those bullets don’t have any eyes on them.”
Chief Roper says police officers were out in full force New Year’s Eve, and the rate of celebratory fire has declined annually in recent years. But, he says, that’s not enough.
“We still need to make more progress,” says Roper. “We still have too many people who think it’s the right thing to do to go out there and shoot bullets in the air.”
Roper admits that’s just part of the problem and stressed the city’s plan for combatting gun violence. He says he welcomes more federal help on gun law enforcement and increased background checks.
Councilwoman Lashunda Scales is supportive of the efforts.
“We’ve been talking about action plans and all of that, but you need all of us on deck to help come up with a plan,” she says. “I look forward to that coming up and becoming part of the budget cycle for this year.”
The police chief says it takes more than officers addressing gun violence. Citizens also have a responsibility, he says.
“Where there are strong neighborhoods, where there are strong communities, crime can’t stay there because neighbors are looking out for neighbors,” Roper says.