Woodfin tasks new commission with reducing homicides
Former Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper speaks at a press conference at Birmingham City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced a new advisory commission Tuesday tasked with finding ways to reduce homicides in the city.
Leaders in law enforcement, the business sector, religious groups and others will draw inspiration from violence reduction methods proven by cities from around the country.
“Good mayors steal the best ideas from other cities and you find those ideas and you tailor them to your city,” Woodfin said during the press conference at city hall.
Private funding through the Birmingham Police Foundation will support the commission’s work as the 21 members gather information on strategies that will help reduce gun violence in Birmingham. They plan to give the city an initial report on their recommendations sometime in the next 60 days.
“The beauty of this is it won’t be me or the mayor’s office or the [city] council getting in their way,” Woodfin said. “So they’ll take the lead on how they go about pulling their information; looking under the hood, if you would.”
The commission will be co-chaired by Lee Styslinger III, co-chairman of Altec Inc., and Ralph Wiliams Jr., vice president of Birmingham’s division of Alabama Power. Former Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper, who is advising the commission, says homicides are particularly difficult to combat.
“The bottom line is this homicide issue is a wicked problem,” Roper said. “And by that, I mean, it’s complex. It’s resistant to change and resistant to common solutions.”
The move comes after four people were killed in a mass shooting in Five Points South last month. Woodfin said while the city struggles with many types of crime, the citizen commission’s singular purpose is to address reducing homicides. According to al.com Birmingham has had 130 homicides this year as mid-October. The Gun Violence Archives reports that three of those were mass shootings, defined as shootings in which four or more people were killed. The city could set a new record for homicides in a single year.
Photos: See demonstrators around the country rally in ‘Hands Off!’ protests
NPR member station photographers documented what they saw at the demonstrations against the Trump administration, from cuts and layoffs to federal departments, to mass deportations.
Florida heads to NCAA title game in a victory over SEC rival Auburn
Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night. The Gators are going to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.
How automakers are responding to the 25% car tariffs so far
It's only been a few days since President Trump's 25% tariffs on foreign cars took effect. But the import surcharge has led to some immediate changes, including layoffs and pauses in car shipments.
Nationwide ‘Hands Off’ protests erupt against Trump and Musk
Demonstrations took place across the country, uniting a myriad of criticisms of the Trump administration under one message: "Hands off."
How automakers are responding to the 25% car tariffs so far
It's only been a few days since President Trump's 25% tariffs on foreign cars took effect. But the import surcharge has led to some immediate changes, including layoffs and pauses in car shipments.
‘Oliver and Amanda Pig’ series author Jean Van Leeuwen dies at 87
The children's book author best known for her Oliver and Amanda Pig series has died at 87. Van Leeuwen wrote nearly 60 books, some of which sold millions of copies.
