These are the 3 finalists for Birmingham’s new police chief
The search for the next Birmingham, Ala. police chief has been narrowed down to three finalists the city announced on Sunday. The search for the Magic City’s new police chief began back in February with the city collecting applications from Feb. 1 to March 9. More than 50 candidates – both locally and across the nation – applied for the position. Those applicants were winnowed down to 11 finalists were invited to take part in an assessment process on March 19. There, participants were asked to handle a series of realistic leadership situations. Once those candidates completed the assessment process, a detailed review of their performance was conducted and the three finalists were selected. Mayor Randall Woodfin is in the processing of interviewing the finalists this week. The finalists Malik Aziz: currently a division commander with the Dallas Police Department. He has more than 28 years law enforcement experience. Henry Irby III: currently a deputy chief with the Birmingham Police Department. He has more than 32 years law enforcement experience. Patrick D. Smith: currently a police commander with the Los Angeles Police Department. Has more than 27 years law enforcement experience.
Randall Woodfin takes unorthodox approach: ‘Give me me your gun… I’ll help you find a job’
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin is taking an unorthodox approach to tackling his city’s crime problem. He’s telling residents that if they’re down on the luck and have a gun to turn it over to him, and he’ll personally help them find a job. “Give me your gun and I will personally help you get a job,” Woodfin said Saturday morning while speaking with members of the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists according to AL.com. Thus far in 2018, there have been 34 homicides within Birmingham’s city limits. Only five have been classified “justifiable,” which is perhaps the reason Woodfin is thinking outside of the box on how to curb crime in his city and offering to personally get involved in the solution. “We have a full breach of public safety in this community,” he continued. “If we don’t attack crime, nothing else matters.” But Woodfin doesn’t think he holds all the answers to the city’s problems — he says he’s also open to hearing suggestions from others. “There is an element in our city that doesn’t care about other people’s lives, Woodfin explained. “If any organization has a better way of stopping them than arresting them, show me. I will sit with them as long as needed… I’m willing to talk with any group, but they’ve got to be on the solutions end.”
Birmingham’s Randall Woodfin needs to prioritize results, not photo ops
I really don’t like being the voice of discontent. Especially when I’m criticizing the Homecoming King. I meant to say my new ever so popular Mayor. Some will say that I’m not giving him a fair break; it is in fact quite early in his tenure but when we let up on our politicians even the ones (or maybe especially the ones) who are likable we risk setting a bad precedent. When we make excuses for them. When we turn a blind eye to their actions or inactions we are setting ourselves up for future failure. Yesterday, Alabama Today posted a story on Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s promises made versus promises kept for his first 100 days. If you didn’t read it – in summary most of his promises are still a work in progress. Which would be fine but I didn’t set the 100 day limit. Neither did you. He did. Which is why it’s so meaningful that someone point out that he didn’t make self imposed deadlines. We gave the mayor’s office the opportunity to respond to the status of various promises we couldn’t find kept. It took quite a while to get a response back. Hopefully the Mayor, who made transparency a cornerstone of his campaign improves on that. Many of the promises were met with messages that the results or the programs were forthcoming. Of the 15 promises we checked 6.5 were completed — so less than 50%. And that’s giving him credit for downsizing his police detail by one, instead of eliminating it altogether. More on that below. I know that Mayor Woodfin has developed quasi-celebrity status in our city since he bested former Mayor William Bell back in October. Some would say that’s part of how he won, selling himself, and his personality, as a new brand for the city. I get it too. He’s young, affable, and he united and mobilized the voters in this city in a way that shook the establishment Birmingham oldguard to its core. He was in the cover of About Town magazine recently. He received lots of attention for jumping out of an airplane last week. But if I see one more puff-piece about him or his administration, or one more gloss over his broken promises — I’m going to scream. If the rest of our city was run like the mayor’s PR shop we’d be in good shape. It’s as if they have inside men in nearly every outlet in the city. Oh wait, they do. They have some of Birmingham’s finest former journalists working for the mayor in a public relations capacity: Edward Bowser who used to work for AL.com. As well as Rick Journey, a former newscaster for WBRC FOX6 who for a while had his own pubic affairs shop and Chandra Temple from the Birmingham Times. So the city may not be seeing the results they need yet, but the mayor’s reputation and image of things getting done is certainly being well taken care of. Not necessarily the most compelling thing that could be going on in our city, but it is something. That said, I’m actually a fan of Woodfin. I’ve met him briefly twice. The first time, during his campaign I stopped him on a sidewalk outside of Urban Standard (my favorite cafe in Birmingham) because he was wearing a Woodfin sticker. I had at up to that point during his campaign cycle had two people come knock on my door for him. I also had received several phone calls from campaign volunteers and so being a veteran of the field every time I saw someone who was a Woodfin volunteer, I was stopping to tell them what a great job they were doing. Lo and behold it was the soon to be mayor himself. Needless to say at the time I wish I had paid closer attention to the photos on palm cards the door knockers left behind. He was polite and humble, and noted how proud he was of his campaign team. As he should have been. My concern with the mayor is that he and his staff focus on more than just his image and adding all his favorite people from around town to committees to study problems. We need results. We don’t need them after these committees can have a dozen meetings. We need results today. For example: the police department and crime. Yes, there should be a long term strategy for addressing our town’s violence, burglaries and other crimes. There should be public/private partnerships with churches and non-profits, but what we need right now are bodies on the street. What we need is leadership at the department that is focused on the right things. We need accountability with how detectives are handling cases and how money is being spent. My personal experience with the police department both as a resident and as a reporter have been at a D- minus level. Just yesterday, I received a Facebook message from a young lady who was a victim of a crime last month. She clearly Googled her detectives name (the same detective I had who dropped the ball and did nearly nothing…okay did nothing) after being infuriated by the lack of progress in her case and found my story where I detailed the issues I had with my break-in experience and the same lack of police response. Note: I never did receive information from the Public Information Officer over there despite numerous emails. Rather, they just flat-out ignored me because they did not like the editorial I wrote. There’s a new one there now. Alabama Today will resend and see where that gets us. While the mayor is working on replacing the previous police chief who resigned last year, it was reported yesterday his interim replacement had his own personal issues and he resigned as well. The mayor is now in the process of selecting a permanent police chief lets hope for the sake of the city that he nails the pick
Randall Woodfin’s ambitious plan for Birmingham: a look at promises kept and works in progress
During his campaign for mayor Randall Woodfin made a bevy of promises to the people of Birmingham to revitalize the city and help restore trust in local government. Many of the promises he said he would accomplish within his first 100 days in office. Surpassing 100 days in office last month, Mayor Woodfin commemorated his first 100 days in office by presenting The Woodfin Way, his 2018 mayoral transition report, during an event at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, Ala. As part of our efforts to hold state leaders accountable, Alabama Today decided to look back on Woodfin’s specific 100 days campaign promises and see where he is on accomplishing them. We allowed his office the opportunity to respond to the outstanding commitments he has yet made and have included additional accomplishments. Investing in Birmingham’s Transportation Infrastructure Within my first 100 days, I would commission the Director of Planning and the City Traffic Engineer to identify priority streets, bridges and sidewalks for inclusion in a four-year capital improvement plan that will inform my Administration’s infrastructure investment priorities. Done Within the first 100 days, I would work with the City Council to adopt a Complete Streets Ordinance to guide all future road projects in Birmingham. Done. In my first 100 days, I would expedite the adoption and implementation of the Sidewalk Master Plan ensuring that our sidewalks are safe and walkable. Done. An Opportunity Agenda for Birmingham Residents and Businesses Within my first 100 days, I would convene a Small Business Task Force of city agencies and Birmingham small businesses to develop a proposal that would automate all of the City processes to obtain licenses and permits, increase transparency in the permitting and procurement process, identify and repeal or reform any city regulations or processes that are unduly burdensome for Birmingham’s small businesses, and create a “one stop shop” for Birmingham’s small businesses that would offer free consultative sessions to small business owners on the City regulatory process. Via the mayor’s office: The Small Business Task Force is scheduled to be launched in the coming weeks. Revitalizing Our Neighborhoods Within the first 100 days, I would work with each City Councilor to appoint 10-member revitalization boards to convene neighborhood hearings and identify neighborhood revitalization priorities for the next four years. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor has launched monthly town hall meetings in conjunction with each city councilor. In addition, on the matter of neighborhood revitalization, a reminder that once completed the BJCC expansion will generate an estimated $9.9 million each year in additional revenue. For the first time in Birmingham history those funds will be dedicated solely to helping revitalize our neighborhoods. An Inclusive Birmingham for all Residents Hire an LGBT liaison to serve on my executive staff within the first 100 days. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor announced his intention to establish The Office of Social Justice during The First 100. This office will include the LGBTQ liaison. The office and liaison will be announced in the coming weeks. Restoring pride and trust in City Hall Within the first 100 days, I would identify a City Council sponsor for an ordinance establishing a “participatory budgeting” pilot program where neighborhood leadership and Birmingham residents set the priorities for development projects in their neighborhoods. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor has publicly stated that he will launch the participatory budgeting pilot program in the next fiscal year due to the lack of time available in this fiscal year. Within the first 100 days, I would meet with each City Council member to identify key shared district priorities between them and my office and commit to resolving these concerns during my first term. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor has met with each member of the Birmingham City Council to identify key shared priorities. Within the first 100 days, I would assign interagency rapid response teams of city agencies to each City Council member that can quickly address city services issues in their districts. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor will announce the interagency rapid response team in May 2018. Within the first 100 days, I would commission the City Chief Information Office to make my travel schedule and expenditures easily accessible and searchable on the City website. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor will announce a major transparency initiative in May 2018 which will include the travel schedule. Within the first 100 days, I would eliminate the funding used for Mayor Bell’s security detail and reinvest the savings into the Division of Youth Services. Half-way done. Woodfin downsized the detail by one officer, after promising to eliminate it. Banning any relatives of the Mayor from working for the City in any role that could influence procurement decisions. Via the mayor’s office: Work is pending to address this issue. Within the first 100 days, I would work with the City Council to adopt a nepotism policy that would ban any of my close relatives from working for the City in any role that involved procurement decisions. Via the mayor’s office: Work is pending to address this issue. Other promises Work with our state delegation to institute term limits so that no Mayor of Birmingham – including myself – can run for more than two consecutive four-year terms. Done. After I win on October 3, 2017, I will begin the process of appointing transition teams for each city agency, commission, and board. Done. Other milestones the Mayor’s office is touting: Launched executive search for six city department heads Held weekly mayor staff meetings and department head meetings Served 8,000+ citizens more than 11,000 meals in warming stations Reinstituted employee COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) and longevity pay Launched new city websiteLaunched customer and employee-centric initiatives Secured unanimous vote on BJCC renovation and expansion project Instituted ticket distribution fair practices Hosted Public Works Employee Engagement Addressed major facilities Issues (elevators, heating, air) Launched Operation Step Up Hosted inaugural State of the Community event
Interim Birmingham police chief stepped down amid abuse claims
The unforeseen departure of Birmingham’s interim police chief Orlando Wilson comes a week after the mother of his children filed an order of protection against him claiming child abuse. According to AL.com, “she filed the request on April 11 in Jefferson County Family Court, and the records were made public in the online court system on Tuesday.” Records indicate she filed two claims: That he sexually abused a young female at a home in Trussville, Ala. in December 2013. That he physically abused a young male at Berry Middle School back in September 2017. On Wednesday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin made the announcement that Wilson would step down as interim police chief to undergo a medical procedure. Chief Deputy Henry Irby will take over the day-to-day operations until a permanent new hire is made. On Tuesday, Woodfin’s office announced they have narrowed the executive search for a police chief to three candidates. Those candidates are scheduled to meet Woodfin for individual interviews between April 23-25.
Bill Veitch files lawsuit to stop ballot printing for primary ballots
Presiding Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Boohaker issued a restraining order on Friday that halted printing of June 5 primary ballots in the Bessemer Cutoff. The printing was stopped due to a lawsuit that Bill Veitch, a Republican candidate for the Birmingham division of Jefferson County, filed on Friday afternoon. “Without your knowledge and consent someone in Birmingham decided your cut-off votes don’t matter. Every single voter in the cut-off from Hoover, McCalla, Hueytown, Bessemer, Midfield and Brighton matter to me and your voice should be heard,” Veitch said in a facebook post on Friday. In the lawsuit, Veitch argues that all voters in Jefferson County should be allowed to vote in the primary, not just those who live in the Birmingham division. He then asked that a judge declare a 1953 law unconstitutional, that Jefferson County Probate Judge Alan King put the names of all candidates in the upcoming primary for District Attorney on ballots for both the Birmingham and divisions, and called for the restraining order that halted the ballot printing. According to AL.com, “Veitch lives in the Bessemer Cutoff, which means if the names of the District Attorney candidates were left off the ballot, he couldn’t vote for himself in the Republican Primary. It also means Democrats in the Bessemer division couldn’t vote for the district attorney candidates in Birmingham in their primary.” “The Bessemer District Attorney is listed in the state code as an assistant,” Veitch told AL.com. “The district attorney for the Birmingham division, however, has authority over all the county. ‘If that’s true that the (Birmingham) district attorney has jurisdiction all over the county shouldn’t they (Bessemer voters) be allowed to vote on those who have jurisdiction over all of them?” Veitch will face Mike Anderton in the Republican primary on June 5. The winner will then face Danny Carr, Raymond L. Johnson, or Jr. Carr in a a November special election to determine who will fill the seat. The full text of the lawsuit can be found below: Bill Veitch lawsuit uploaded by KentFaulk on Scribd
Randall Woodfin downsizes security detail after promise to eliminate it
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin downsized his security detail by one person following recommendations from the Birmingham police force. During his campaign, Woodfin often criticized the cost of then-Mayor William Bell’s security team. He made the decision to cut the detail upon taking office, Nov. 28, 2017 based on recommendations by police on how many officers were needed to effectively perform the job. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars a year go into paying for Mayor Bell’s security detail, which takes uniformed cops off our streets,” Woodfin said in a column he wrote for AL.com in March 2017. “These officers could be patrolling our neighborhoods, but instead, they’re protecting the mayor on the taxpayer’s dime. The mayor of Birmingham doesn’t need a full-time security detail, and as mayor, I would eliminate the security detail and have those officers reassigned to our highest-crime neighborhoods.” While it is not possible to make a full comparison of previous costs for the security detail, as the Woodfin administration has been in office just over four months, the combined salaries of the current detail during that span of time is $71,436. For perspective, the year-to-date salary for the same period one year ago was $109,954.42.
Navy Week launches in Birmingham
America’s Navy has arrived in Birmingham with the Magic City’s mayor taking a huge leap to mark the occasion. Mayor Randall Woodfin helped kick off Birmingham Navy Week by doing a tandem parachute jump with U.S. Navy Parachute Team “The Leap Frogs” into Railroad Park today. Navy Week in Birmingham April 9-15 provides an opportunity for citizens to learn about the armed service, its people and its importance to national security and prosperity. Birmingham is one of only 14 cities selected to host a Navy Week this year. “Our sailors are extremely excited to visit Birmingham and showcase just a small portion of our Navy’s capabilities to the American public,” said Lt. David Carter, lead planner for the Navy Week. “The pride and professionalism they’ll display is just a snapshot of the larger U.S. Navy force that stands ready daily to carry out our nation’s work across the globe.” Rear Adm. Mark J. Fung, deputy chief of civil engineers, and deputy commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, will be the senior Navy representative presiding over Navy Week. “I am excited to share the Navy’s story with Birmingham,” Fung said. “I look forward to discussing the reshaping of the Navy into ‘the Navy the nation needs’ and how it is relevant to the people of Alabama.” Some of the weeks’ highlights include Navy Night at Regions Field during the Birmingham Barons’ home opener Wednesday night and Navy Day at the McWane Science Center all day Thursday. The week leads into the Tuscaloosa Regional Airshow, featuring the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, on April 14-15. Local native Command Master Chief Keith Wilkerson Jr., the senior enlisted sailor for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Island Knights (HSC-25) in Guam, will also be in attendance throughout the week. “Being born in Birmingham and spending my childhood running through the woods of Bessemer, I like to think of this place as being where the seed was planted for my service,” Wilkerson said. “I grew up around a lot of stories about the Navy and military and now after 19 years of service, I have one of my own to share. I’ve had the privilege to serve around the world, and currently in Guam, I get to see first-hand how America’s sons and daughters from places like Birmingham impact the world in a positive way and protect our way of life as Americans. Best of all, every day I have the awesome responsibility of putting on my Navy uniform and representing the great state of Alabama.” Navy Weeks bring a variety of events, equipment and personnel to a single city for a week-long series of engagements with the public, key influencers and organizations representing all sectors of the community. Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort in areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, with 210 Navy Weeks held in 74 different U.S. markets. “Navy Weeks allow us to showcase the sons and daughters of America who serve in today’s Navy. We focus on sharing in communities across the U.S. who often have little to no contact with sailors,” said Cmdr. Linda Rojas, Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) director. “We’ve found that these exchanges have gone a long way for raising awareness of the Navy and establishing and maintaining relationships with the people we serve.” During a Navy Week, 75 to 100 outreach events are coordinated with corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, community service and diversity organizations in the city, said Lt. Cmdr. Brett Dawson, NAVCO’s event planning department head. “We bring in as much of the Navy as we can to raise awareness of the Navy, its mission and its importance to the public,” he said. Navy Week cities are chosen based on a variety of factors, including Gallup data on Navy knowledge and awareness, Navy recruiting data, demographic information, namesake ties of ships and submarines, past outreach history in the market and geography, to ensure events are dispersed across the country. Last year’s Navy Week program, through the execution of more than 1,000 individual outreach events, showcased the Navy, its mission and its people to a combined audience of about 150 million Americans. The Navy plans to include the following elements in the week-long celebration: Sailors assigned to the state’s namesake ship, USS Alabama Navy divers and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams S. Navy Parachute Team “The Leap Frogs” Navy Band performances Sailors from USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat Navy Medicine personnel The Navy’s new virtual reality simulator. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Doug Jones announces $3.6 Million grant for Birmingham bus system
The Birmingham public transit system is getting a much needed financial boost this year, a $3.6 million boost at that. The planned improvements to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) endeavor to provide easier access to areas of Birmingham for those who use it daily, and those who visit the city. U.S. Senator Doug Jones announced the grant on Thursday. “Safe, reliable public transportation is important for any city, but it’s especially critical for Birmingham as it prepares to host the 2021 World Games. Beyond that event, these grant funds will benefit the citizens of Birmingham who rely on public transit to go about their daily lives,” Jones said in a statement. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the money will be used by the BJCTA to replace the old buses that have outlived their usefulness. The Transit Authority says that the new vehicles will provide improved reliability and will reduce maintenance and other costs. One of the reasons the Transportation Department chose to improve the bus service in Birmingham was because of the city’s upcoming role as the host to the 2021 World Games, an Olympic-style event expected to bring thousands of people to the region. Alabama was one of 139 other beneficiaries, selected from over 50 states and territories to receive the grant funds. The funding will be distributed through the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. A program that helps communities replace and rehabilitate old buses, and purchase new buses.
Airport shuttle service from Birmingham to Atlanta began Sunday
A Richmond, Va. based transportation company began a shuttle service from Birmingham to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this week. The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport currently operates over 60 flights between itself and Atlanta each week, and although each flight only takes around 30 minutes (once you’re in the air) many travelers prefer to avoid the hassle of adding a connecting flight either to or from the Atlanta airport. Groome Transportation will be offering 14 daily round trips from Birmingham to Atlanta; beginning at 1 a.m. with the last shuttle leaving Birmingham at 8:30 p.m. Services to Birmingham from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be offered as well, the first shuttle will be scheduled to leave at 5:30 a.m. with the last trip leaving Atlanta at 1 a.m. according to the Birmingham Patch. Reservations are required in advance and can be purchased online or by phone; the company asks that you schedule the shuttle at least 24 hours before your trip to avoid any potential delays at the time of travel. For now, all shuttles pick passengers up at the Festival Shopping Center on Crestwood Boulevard for one way or round trip service. Adult shuttle trips cost $29 one-way and $58 for a round trip ticket. Young children, three to seven years old, cost $14 each way, while children under three ride for free.
Apple CEO Tim Cook to receive human rights award in Birmingham
The Birmingham Metro Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is honoring Apple CEO and Mobile, Ala. native Tim Cook with a civil rights award. According to the AP, Cook will receive the 2018 Human Rights Award for his advocacy for equality and safety in the workplace. Annually, the Human Rights Award recognizes those individuals who have continued the legacy of the SCLC’s founding president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who worked tirelessly to advance human and civil rights. Cook will receive the award on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s assassination at their annual Keeper of the Dream Awards Banquet on April 4
Proposed industrial park, community to receive $6 million
A proposed high-tech industrial park and residential community near Barber Motorsports in Alabama could receive $6 million in federal grants. The funds could help push forward development of the project that could create more than 1,200 jobs, Al.com reported. The Alabama Department of Labor says the project could generate an economic impact of more than $85 million in Birmingham. The Alabama Department of Labor announced Wednesday that the state has been given preliminary approval to distribute $10 million in federal grant funds to three projects. Work on the projects is expected to begin this summer. The project is called the Grand River Technology and Grand River Homes. The Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s federal office gave the approval. It was a part of the 2017 AML Pilot Program to revitalize Alabama’s coalfields region. Along with the Grand River development, the other projects are in the cities of Helena and Vestavia Hills. In November, the Birmingham City Council approved entering into an agreement with U.S. Steel to pay up to $4.6 million for some site work to prepare 40 acres south of Barber Motorsports Park for the industrial park. U.S. Steel will deed 24 acres near the site over to the city for the relocation of the Southern Museum of Flight. The development agreement says the city’s investment will pay for the construction of a partial road and grading of the property. U.S. Steel, Birmingham, Southern Museum of Flight, Jefferson County and Leeds has partnered on the project. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
