New Birmingham Police Chief: ‘We Are Not The Enemy’
Friday marked one full week on the job for Patrick Smith, who was recently appointed Birmingham’s police chief. Smith comes to the city after having spent 28 years in law enforcement in Los Angeles. With a relentless string of recent homicides and growing public concerns about violence around the city, Smith has a big job ahead of him. He talked with WBHM’s Sherrel Wheeler Stewart at City Hall about his plans to make Birmingham safer.
Here are excerpts from that conversation.
Connecting With Youth and Preventing Violence
I value our young people. And I want to work with them and let them know that the doors of the police station are open and we are not the enemy.
Addressing the Greatest Challenges in Fighting Crime
What we’ve done thus far is to add two investigators to our homicide division and I’m going to add two more. One of the things that I’ve done is to implement a 72 hour rule. I want those detectives who are working some of the most violent crimes within the city to conduct an investigation for 72 hours. I want them to do a presentation to me. Tell me what they’ve done where they’re going.
Increasing the Police Presence.
One of my primary goals has to be recruitment. And here’s what I mean. Right now, the Birmingham Police Department has 119 vacancies. That’s a lot of officers who could be doing more in our community.
How the 1992 LA Riots Impacted A Career in Law Enforcement Policing During the 1992 LA Riots
My assignment was in Watts, working primarily in the epicenter of where everything occurred.
It had a great impact upon me as a law enforcement officer. And here is what I mean. I went to our police academy just yesterday and I spoke to some of our new officers and I let them know my expectation. The homeless man that you see on that bench, treat them like that’s your brother. The homeless woman who’s pushing the shopping cart, talk to her like she’s your sister. If she needs help, if they need anything, never equate someone’s financial situation by reducing them in the level of respect or dignity that we provide them.
Russia launched an experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, the U.S. says
Ukraine raised alarm suggesting Russia may have used an intercontinental ballistic missile to hit the city of Dnipro, but the U.S. National Security Council does not believe it was an ICBM.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s attorney general nominee
Allegations of sex trafficking and drug use had stirred controversy over Matt Gaetz's nomination as attorney general.
This year’s FAFSA is officially open. Early review says it’s ‘a piece of cake’
The FAFSA form is now open to students hoping to get help paying for college in the 2025-26 academic year. Students can expect a much smoother process compared to the last cycle.
He was stuck in a hospital for 8 months. How states can fail people with disabilities
In Georgia and other states, the federal government oversees the treatment of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, because the states have been unable to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the subsequent Olmstead ruling.
Foreign nationals propel U.S. science. Visa limits under Trump could change that
The incoming Trump administration is likely to crack down on the H-1B visas used by tech companies and research institutions to hire top talent from other countries.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
