The city of Birmingham is getting $4.5 million in federal funding to help fight crime

Birmingham’s Real Time Crime Center recently received $4.5 million as part of the federal government’s Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. The US House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the legislation, which President Joe Biden signed into law. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recommended the appropriation.

“We are grateful to Senator Britt for her support,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “These funds mean increased support to help our officers fight and investigate crime.”

The Birmingham Police Department will use that money to purchase additional cameras and place them in high-crime areas, according to Police Chief Scott Thurmond. The data will be fed directly into the city’s Real Time Crime Center.

As of 2021, the Real Time Crime Center has been a centralized hub for the BPD’s crime-fighting technology. The center has monitors and workstations where sworn officers and civilian personnel can access immediate information from ShotSpotter shooting detention systems, citywide camera feeds and license plate readers. The RTCC unit also includes a crime analyst and a cyber forensics team. Together, they use technology and data-driven intelligence to help prevent crime and apprehend criminals.

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 requests for appropriations for congressionally directed community projects. The city’s top priority has been a significant federal investment in the expansion of the Birmingham Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center.