Birmingham Council Approves Cameras to Help Fight Crime
Birmingham police will soon have some extra help to spot crime. The Birmingham City Council Tuesday approved an agreement with Alabama Power to install 100 cameras around the city. The service and equipment will cost $672,000. The city will pay Alabama Power Company that amount over five years.
The vote comes as the city continues to wrestle with an increase in violent crime.
Hunter Williams, chairman of the council’s public safety committee, says the cameras will work alongside the city’s shot spotter devices. Those detect the sound of bullets and alert police, but Williams says police need more.
“Right now, we have an audible shot spotter in place, but we are blind to see what’s going on as those shots ring out,” he says. “So, what this will do, it will couple with that so that we will have eyes and ears.”
Williams says the cameras will be connected to police dispatch and Jefferson County’s shared crime monitoring system.
The council’s vote on the cameras was unanimous.
3 things to know about Trump’s plan to send troops to Portland and Memphis
President Trump ordered the deployment of troops to Portland and said he's authorized them to use "full force" to curb protests outside of ICE facilities.
Overseas Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law denied entry to Singapore
The activist wanted by the Hong Kong government said he was denied entry to Singapore over the weekend for what he presumes were political reasons.
Moldova’s pro-EU party wins clear parliamentary majority, defeating pro-Russian groups
Moldova's pro-Western governing party won a clear parliamentary majority, defeating pro-Russian groups in an election that was widely viewed as a stark choice between East and West.
She felt abandoned — until a teacher’s hug reminded her she wasn’t alone
When she was in the sixth grade, Tanya Eby's world was unraveling. One day, overcome with grief, she cried in class — and her teacher, Mrs. Welch, wrapped Eby in a hug.
Neglected form of diabetes with unusual symptoms finally gets its own name
An unusual type of diabetes linked to malnutrition now has a name. Scientists are calling for wider recognition of the newly classified Type 5 diabetes to spur better treatments.
Prone to winter depression? Starting light therapy now can help
As daylight diminishes people can feel their mood dimming. In fact millions of U.S. adults experience seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy can help fend off winter depression, starting in the fall.
