birminghamal.gov
The City of Birmingham’s Real Time Crime Center was recently awarded $4.5 million as part of the federal government’s 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The U.S. House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the legislature, which President Joe Biden signed into law. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recommended the allocation.
“We are grateful to Senator Britt for her support,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “These funds mean increased support in helping our officers fight and investigate crime.”
The Birmingham Police Department will use these monies to purchase additional cameras and position them in high-crime areas, according to Police Chief Scott Thurmond. The data will feed directly into the City’s Real Time Crime Center.
Since 2021, the Real Time Crime Center has been a centralized hub for BPD’s crime-fighting technology. The center has monitors and workstations where sworn officers and civilian personnel can access immediate information from ShotSpotter gunshot detention systems, camera feeds from across the city, and license plate readers. The RTCC unit also includes a crime analyst and cyber forensics team. Together, they utilize technology and data-driven intelligence to aid in crime prevention and the apprehension of offenders.
In the Spring of 2023, the City of Birmingham met with the congressional delegation to discuss the City’s federal agenda for the year, particularly the City’s appropriations requests for congressionally directed community-based projects. The City’s top priority was a significant federal investment in the expansion of the Birmingham Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center.
