Birmingham PD Adds High-Tech Tools To Its Crime-Fighting Arsenal
By Sam Prickett
The Birmingham Police Department will soon have two new high-tech crime-fighting tools at its disposal. On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council approved nearly $75,000 for two law enforcement software systems, PredPol and Assisted Patrol Bait Systems, which are designed to increase patrol efficiency and crack down on repeat offenders, respectively.
The city will spend $59,900 on the Santa-Cruz, California-based PredPol, a software that uses machine learning to calculate times and locations where crimes are more likely to occur. It’s a program that Police Chief Patrick D. Smith has mentioned repeatedly since taking office in June. In January, he told BirminghamWatch that enacting the program would be one of his priorities for 2019.
“We can start breaking down what we need to do, where our patrol cars need to be to reduce crime, and also we can break it down by beat, in terms of how much presence we need to have in a certain area to drive down crime,” Smith said. “This will address us from a historical perspective of where we need to go, of where (crimes) have occurred, but also let us know where we need to be in the future.”
At Mayor Randall Woodfin’s “Big Picture” presentation last week, Smith said that PredPol would be a central part of the city’s “real-time crime center,” which will serve as a hub for the city’s various crime-fighting resources.
The funding approved by the council on Tuesday allows for installation, integration and tech support services from PredPol, as well as for training officers how to use the software. The agreement will come with the option to renew those services for an additional year.
Also approved was approximately $15,000 for Assisted Patrol Bait Systems, a self-described “theft apprehension system” based in Beavercreek, Ohio. The systems allow for officers to place items — such as vehicles, purses or bags — in areas with high rates of property theft. Those items will have sensors, such as a built-in camera and a GPS tracker, that will allow police to identify and locate thieves. According to Assisted Patrol’s website, the system is designed to target “high-rate offenders … without the need for special stakeouts” and ultimately to act as a deterrent for thieves.
Both items were initially slated to be approved as part of the council’s consent agenda, but Councilor Hunter Williams asked for them to be removed. When the items later came before the council for a vote, Williams, who chairs the council’s public safety committee, said he had received additional information and was satisfied. Both funding proposals were approved unanimously.
Photo by Tex Texin
As deadline for Trump’s colleges compact looms, schools signal dissent
Of the original nine schools that received the Trump administration's Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, the majority have indicated they are not planning on signing.
Can collagen supplements improve your skin? Here’s what the research shows
With age comes wisdom. And wrinkles. And joint pain. In wellness circles, the buzz is that collagen supplements can help with all these concerns. But are these claims something you should swallow?
Centrist Rodrigo Paz wins Bolivia’s presidential runoff, topping right-wing rival
Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz won Bolivia's presidency with 54% of the vote, ending 20 years of rule by the Movement Toward Socialism party amid economic turmoil.
Trump announces tariffs and an end to U.S. aid to Colombia amid clash over drug trade
The U.S. will slash assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports because the country's leader, Gustavo Petro, "does nothing to stop" drug production, President Donald Trump said Sunday.
Sam Rivers, bassist and founding member of Limp Bizkit, dies aged 48
"Sam Rivers wasn't just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound," Limp Bizkit said in a social media post Saturday.
Israel strikes Gaza as both IDF and Hamas accuse each other of breaching ceasefire
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it responded after "terrorists" attacked troops operating in the Rafah area with gunfire and an anti-tank missile. Hamas said it was unaware of the clashes.
.jpg){kind=link}