Birmingham Applies For Grants To Beef Up Surveillance, Readies To Open Real-Time Crime Center
The city of Birmingham will apply for a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to purchase and maintain license plate readers in an effort “to improve the [Birmingham Police Department’s] response to violent crime.”
The city of Birmingham will apply for state and federal grants to purchase new license plate readers and high-definition surveillance cameras, the city council decided Tuesday.
The city will apply for a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Alabama Law Enforcement Safety Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, for $100,000 to purchase and maintain license plate readers “to improve the [Birmingham Police Department’s] response to violent crime.”
That decision comes just over a year after the council approved the installation of 10 license plate recognition cameras as part of a deal with Alabama Power. The city pays the utility a monthly rate of $2,291.67 to maintain the cameras. Those cameras had received pushback from activists concerned over “excessive” city funding for police, but Tuesday, the grant applications were approved without any discussion or controversy.
Another grant application approved Tuesday — also to DOJ through ADECA — requests $35,000 for the purchase, installation and maintenance of high-resolution surveillance cameras.
The council also approved a $394,231.50 increase in its contract with the Texas-based Tyler Technologies to add computer-aided dispatch maintenance services.
After multiple delays, the Birmingham Police Department is scheduled to launch its “real-time crime center” sometime this month. The $940,030 facility will serve as the BPD’s technological hub, consolidating technology such as ShotSpotter, PredPol, and Motorola’s CommandCentral Aware and BriefCam softwares.
These efforts are intended to combat the city’s rising rate of violent crime. Aside from a slight dip in 2018, the city’s homicide rate has increased steadily since 2014; 2020’s 124 homicides were the most the city had seen since 1994, and 2021 is roughly on track to match that number.
Birmingham City Council moves toward approval of cannabis dispensaries
Birmingham has taken “the first step” on the road to legalizing medical marijuana. The City Council voted Tuesday to approve an ordinance authorizing medical cannabis dispensaries to operate within Birmingham city limits.
The landmark Voting Rights Act faces further dismantling in case from Alabama
The law is once again on the chopping block — this time on the question of how state legislatures may draw congressional district lines when the state's voters are racially polarized.
Gulf States rank at the bottom for climate-adapted housing. Organizers want to change that.
As natural disasters and extreme weather become more frequent in the Gulf South, a new report hopes to be a road map to providing more climate-adapted housing.
How Dr. Emily Fortney is using her clinical psychology work to help pregnant people
Suicide is a leading cause of death in women, and mood and anxiety disorders make perinatal risks more complicated. Dr. Fortney’s work is focused on this issue.
Regions Bank to refund $141M for illegal overdraft fees
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that between 2018 and 2021, Regions was charging overdraft fees on some ATM withdrawals as well as some debit card purchases, even after the bank told the customers they had enough funds to cover the transactions.
Jackson’s water crisis put new attention on its longstanding lead contamination issue
Jackson’s water issues echo infrastructure struggles across the Gulf South, resulting in nearly 1,800 lawsuits over the past year and attention from the EPA.
