First Police Review Finds BPD Is “Doing Pretty Good,” Woodfin Says, Ends With Explicit Ban On Chokeholds
Mayor Randall Woodfin announced Tuesday morning that his office’s 30-day internal review of the Birmingham Police Department had been completed. The result?
“While we found that we are doing pretty good, there is still room for improvement,” he said.
Woodfin officially announced the review June 10, following sustained nationwide protests over the police killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd. Protestors in Birmingham had repeatedly called for the city to “defund the police” by giving part of the city’s $150,000 ammunition budget to social services. Woodfin maintained that the police department, like all community-facing city departments, would have its budget “combed through” during this year’s extended budget process, which will stretch through September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everything is on the table,” he said.
In the meantime, the internal review focused primarily on criteria promoted by #8CANTWAIT, a national campaign calling for immediate policy changes — such as banning chokeholds and strangleholds and requiring officers to de-escalate situations wherever possible — to police departments throughout the country. The results, Woodfin said, showed that “in spirit, Birmingham is in alignment with the standards of #8CANTWAIT.”
The results of the review are available at PeaceAndPolicy.com, and highlight two “opportunities to strengthen” BPD policy.
First is an explicit ban on chokeholds and strangleholds — which Woodfin said are not authorized by the BPD and not taught as part of the department’s training curriculum.
“While that is good, I want to go a step further and implement an outright ban,” Woodfin said.
Second, Woodfin said he also would add “direct language” to the BPD’s use-of-force policy establishing officers’ “duty to intervene” if they see a colleague using excessive force.
The release of the review came just after Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, where the council approved a five-year, $7.5 million lease of BPD body cameras.
“We don’t need a lapse or want a lapse in making sure that if there’s an issue where an officer is involved, that the information is captured,” Woodfin said.
The review of the police department will continue, Woodfin added, with a 90-day study by a newly appointed community safety task force. Woodfin and District 2 Councilor Hunter Williams will co-chair the committee, which will consist of five other members: Jaselle Houghtlin, a recent UAB graduate and co-founder of the advocacy group ‘Listen;’ Cara McClure, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Birmingham; Victor Revill, an attorney with Revill and Associates; Ed Watkins, a former police detective with the NYPD and BPD; and Joyce Vance, the former U.S. Attorney for the northern district of Alabama.
The task force, will take a “deeper dive” into BPD policy and procedures over the next three months, Woodfin said, “and see what other opportunities emerge.” Members of the public are also encouraged to send their ideas for police reform to [email protected].
“With feedback from this task force and you, the public, we will come out of this better than where we began,” Woodfin said. “But please remember we won’t get there overnight. It will take time as we balance individual civil liberties with the government’s duty to ensure public safety.”
March for Life attendees may have been exposed to measles, DC Health warns
D.C. health officials are contacting people possibly exposed to measles at the March for Life in January, as confirmed cases rise nationwide.
U.S. gave Ukraine and Russia June deadline to reach peace agreement, Zelenskyy says
"The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer," Zelenskyy said, speaking to reporters on Friday.
U.K. leader’s chief of staff quits over hiring of Epstein friend as U.S. ambassador
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff resigned Sunday over the furor surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to the U.S. despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump administration lauds plastic surgeons’ statement on trans surgery for minors
A patient who came to regret the top surgery she got as a teen won a $2 million malpractice suit. Then, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons clarified its position that surgery is not recommended for transgender minors.
What you should know about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show
Will the Puerto Rican superstar bring out any special guests? Will there be controversy? Here's what you should know about what could be the most significant concert of the year.
Sunday Puzzle: -IUM Pandemonium
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with KPBS listener Anthony Baio and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
