Criminal minds
By Wade Kwon
The City of Birmingham is taking crime on, one district at a time. Last week, residents of District 3 participated in the Cease Fire Anti-Crime Summit at Avondale United Methodist Church.
Can citizens and city groups reduce the crime rate together?
Close to 100 residents came to hear community leaders express their plans and calls to action Thursday night. While national crime rates have dropped significantly in the past decade, Birmingham crime rates have held steady or increased, including murders, rapes, robberies, assaults and auto thefts.
The panelists:
- Valerie Abbott, district 3 councilor;
- Dennis Blass, director of security at the Federal Reserve.
- Lt. David Robinson and Capt. Gary Childs, Birmingham Police Department;
- John Sloan III, associate professor of justice sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham;
- and Don Thompson, elder at More Than Conquerors Faith Church in West End;
Each panelist gave a short speech, then the audience asked questions, most of which were directed at the police reps.
Thompson talked about Cease Fire, a faith-based initiative in which religious leaders promote nonviolent conflict resolution. The campaign will include media promos, sermons and merchandise (T-shirts, yard signs and posters). It’s not unlike the Birmingham Pledge, in both good and bad ways.
Blass explained how crime hurts Birmingham’s economic development.
Sloan talked about using existing stats to precisely define the problem. For example, not “Homicide is a major problem in Birmingham” but “Homicides from ongoing potentially longterm disputes in specific neighborhoods in the West Precinct are a major problem in Birmingham.” Then, he said the solution would often involve cooperation among public and private agencies using innovative solutions with recurring evaluations.
Robinson gave examples of successes and challenges in stopping crime in Birmingham. One technique has been to “swarm” a hot spot; if one block is seeing a rash of break-ins, available cops will work that spree throughout the shift, putting a higher priority on those crimes over, say, an isolated break-in elsewhere. Childs explained how it would take many strategies old and new — more police, more patrols, zero-tolerance — to be effective.
In addition, attendees received a stack of handouts upon arrival giving tips on crime prevention, along with a copy of the Cease Fire pledge.
Cease Fire pledge card
One neighborhood leader asked about calling 911 versus 311 versus 325-9311, which set off a 15-minute discussion/debate.
Overall, the meeting was somewhat beneficial, especially with the police asking citizens to become more involved and report any suspicious activities. Community cooperation in general could go a long way to aiding police catch criminals and begin work on related problems (drug abuse, truancy, perception of safety).
I wasn’t crazy about the Cease Fire pledge itself, which panelists and audience members recited to close the meeting.
I pledge to cease fire and respect life. As a citizen of Birmingham, I promise to be aware of my surroundings and help to ensure the safety of my neighbors. I pledge to be responsible for my own actions. I also vow to resolve all my conflicts in a peaceful and non-violent manner, remembering that every life deserves respect.
I really hope the cops present didn’t take the pledge. If a criminal breaks into my home and has a gun to my head or threatens the lives of my family, I’ll stop him with lethal force if necessary. Like the Birmingham Pledge, it’s well intentioned and good PR, but not for me.
- 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lawson State Community College, district 7 (focus on youth)
- 6:30 p.m. March 9 at the Five Points West Library, district 8
- 6:30 p.m. March 30 at More Than Conquerors Faith Church, district 6
- 6:30 p.m. April 20, location TBA, district 9
- late April, location TBA, district 1.
• • •
Is Birmingham doing all it can to fight crime? What do you think of the Cease Fire campaign and pledge? Comments, please.
Friday, May 5, 2006, 4:14 pm
I would like to receive more info on the “Cease Fire” program and any planned ralleys. I think this is a good program for the community.
Saturday, May 6, 2006, 12:10 am
From the press release from the City of Birmingham:
The contact person at More Than Conquerors Faith Church is Elder Don Thompson. He may be reached at 205.322.2644 or dthompson@mtcfc.org.