By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Under then-Interim Chief of Police Michael Pickett, the Birmingham Police Department (BPD) in February announced a crime reduction strategy aimed at tackling the surge in violent crime throughout the city. The plan is made up of eight components designed to reduce crime and enhance public safety.
As of July 6, Birmingham had 37 homicides. This time last year, the city had 84 homicides. The homicide decrease comes after Birmingham ended 2024 with 151 homicides, the highest number of killings in the city in more than nine decades.
Pickett, a 21-year BPD veteran, credited the drop in violent crime to a focused strategy, relentless teamwork, and growing trust between law enforcement and residents.
He had served as interim police chief since the Nov. 29, 2024, retirement of Chief Scott Thurmond, and was named permanent chief on March 31, 2025.
The crime reduction strategy’s eight components are:
- Specialized Enforcement Teams: Deployment of the Special Enforcement Team (SET) and the Tactical Division’s Crime Suppression Unit (BPD’s most elite tactical unit) will target the most dangerous criminals based on intelligence from multiple sources including BPD Intel, precinct commander reports, and ShotSpotter data.
- Swift Apprehension of Violent Offenders: Continuation of proactive efforts by the Crime Reduction Team to apprehend individuals with outstanding violent felony warrants.
- Strengthened Federal Partnerships: Led by Deputy Chief JaCorey Foster, this initiative will continue to work closely with our federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to secure more federal indictments, with ongoing support from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
- Stolen Vehicles Task Force: To combat the use of stolen vehicles in crimes, we have developed a joint initiative with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to tackle crimes associated with stolen vehicles.
- Crackdown on Illegal Firearms: Collaboration with the ATF to address illegal gun trafficking and straw purchases.
- Increased Command Presence: Introduction of Utility Captains during peak crime hours to enhance leadership and response during our most violent times.
- Proactive Discharging Team: Formation of a team dedicated to intercepting potential shooters before violent acts occur.
- Police Athletic Teams (PAT): The Birmingham Police Athletic Team (P.A.T.), in partnership with Birmingham Park and Recreation, launched a community-focused sports initiative. Designed to strengthen bonds between law enforcement and residents, this program promotes positive engagement, physical activity, and teamwork through the universal language of sports.
PAT Personal Experience
“I grew up participating in PAT and I know firsthand how powerful athletics can be in keeping our youth focused and out of trouble,” said Pickett, 41, a Birmingham native, and a graduate of Ramsay High School and Miles College.
Competition is more than just winning, he told The Birmingham Times in a recent interview. “Some people don’t know how to lose, and what I tell young men when I talk to them most of the time, a man that loses his life too early, or ends up in jail, it’s because of ego. You need to be able to understand how to process failure or disappointment. You have to be able to develop those coping skills.”
PAT is also important because it gives some children a chance to see officers as coaches when often “they only see police in a certain light, and that’s when something is going terribly wrong at the house,” the chief said. “Or they may see a police serving a warrant … and they might be two, three, four years old and the only time they see the police is when they’re coming to take somebody to jail, possibly their loved one.”
They interact with the officer “when it’s not a stressful situation, when it’s not a violent situation … it’s attached to a fun game that they’re enjoying,” Pickett said. “So it humanizes police officers, it gives us the environment to have that discussion with them and build that rapport and from there you build a relationship … and that really, really goes a long way.”
