On Monday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced LAPD-veteran Patrick Smith is the city’s new Chief of Police. He also announced State Rep. Allen Treadaway would be the new Assistant Chief of Police.
In the past 24 hours there’s been a lot of talk about who Smith is, but not so much about Treadaway.
Which is why Alabama Today wanted to take a closer look at the new Assistant Chief of Police.
Background in law enforcement
Treadaway attended Jefferson State Community College before attending the Birmingham Police Academy where he received his Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. Since graduating, he’s served on the Birmingham Police Department since 1989.
He is a past president of the Birmingham Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1. In 1992, he was recognized as the Officer of the Year by the City of Birmingham and was named the Most Outstanding Member of the Year by the Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police for 2004-2005.
Until his new appointment, Treadaway served a Birmingham Police Captain, in command of the East Precinct, which includes the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport. There, he worked with approximately 170 officers.
Prior to that, he served as Captain of the Crimes against Poverty unit, Lieutenant of the Burglary and Auto Theft units and Sergeant of the Auto Theft unit and South Precinct.
Politics
Treadaway was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in November 2006 to represent House District 51. He won his party’s nomination in the Republican primary in a runoff against Vicki Self Bailey and was unopposed in the November general elections. He’s maintained the position eve since.
He often uses his first-hand experience in law enforcement to sponsor and co-sponsor legislation involving law enforcement issues. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon named Treadaway chairman of the State House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security in Dec. 2016.
Personal life
He is a past director of Toys for Tots and a current Board member of the Birmingham Retirement and Relief System.
Treadaway and his wife Susan live in Morris, Ala. with their four children: Erin, Tyler, Ally and Cody. His family made headlines earlier this year when they tragically lost their fifth child, a daughter, Kelsey Marie Treadaway — 31, the volleyball coach at Mortimer Jordan High School — in a car accident. They are members of Enon Baptist Church.
