Birmingham police looking for 200 volunteers for Citizens Observer Patrol program

City council split on revival of Citizens Observer Patrol as Birmingham police seek 200 volunteers

WERE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HELPED. NOT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN IT COMES TO BIRMINGHAM’S CITIZEN’S PATROL BOARD. THE CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY GAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THE GREEN LIGHT TO BRING IT BACK. THE CHIEF SAYS THAT HE’S LOOKING FOR 200 VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY, WHO WILL GIVE OFFICERS INFORMATION TO FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME. THE ��, 13 MAGDALA LUCENT LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM, SOUTH SIDE TO TELL US WHY SOME DON’T AGREE. MAGDALA. YEAH, SO SOME DON’T AGREE BECAUSE THEY SAY IT’S TOO RISKY. BUT THE POLICE CHIEF SAYS THESE PEOPLE WILL STRICTLY BE THE EYES AND EARS FOR THE DEPARTMENT. AND IT’S NOT GOING TO BE EASY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TRAINING THROUGH BIRMINGHAM’S POLICE ACADEMY. BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH TO SWAY SOME COUNCILORS AS WELL. FIVE OF THEM VOTED YES AND FOUR OF THEM WERE ABSTAINED WHEN IT CAME TO VOTING FOR COP COUNCILOR HUNTER WILLIAMS WAS VERY VOCAL IN SAYING NO. HIS REASON, HE REMEMBERS WHEN THERE WAS A CITIZEN’S OBSERVER PATROL, A CITIZENS OBSERVER PATROL YEARS AGO IN THE WOODLAWN AREA. HE RECALLS IT ENDING BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF FUNDING, AND A VOLUNTEER GOT BEAT UP WHILE ON DUTY. HE ADDS, LETTING THESE VOLUNTEERS DRIVE IN CITY OWNED VEHICLES COULD BE A LIABILITY NIGHTMARE. I CANNOT VOTE FOR THIS AND PUT CITIZENS LIVES IN DANGER. FURTHER TAKE AWAY FROM RESOURCES THAT WOULD GO TO THE ACTUAL A POST OFFICER OF BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK THAT WE’RE BEING VERY SHORT SIGHTED ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR ONE OF THESE CIVILIANS TO GET IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY ARE OVER THEIR HEAD, UNDERSTAND THAT WE SAID, THERE’S GOING TO BE TRAINING, BUT FOR ONE OF THESE CIVILIANS TO GET OVER THEIR HEAD AND IT AND INSTEAD OF CITIZENS ON PATROL, IT’S A TRAGEDY. TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. WELL TODAY WOODFIN DEFENDING THE CITIZENS PATROL BOARD. HE SAYS THEY’RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT WHERE THEY WANT TO IMPLEMENT IT. AND THAT THIS IS NOT A CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND THAT ALSO VOLUNTEERS. HE SAYS, WON’T BE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE WILL BE IN HARM’S WAY. WE HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WE THINK WE’VE ALREADY FOUND, UM, TO PLACE CITIZENS IN, TO SIMPLY OBSERVE AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH POLICE IN REAL TIME. UM, WE BELIEVE IN THE PLACES WE’RE THINKING ABOUT. UM, IT’S NOT IT’S NOT CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS PER SE. UM, AND IT IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE THEY WOULD BE IN HARM’S WAY. UH, THE CHIEF SAYS THESE VOLUNTEERS WILL NOT HAVE POLICE POWER, NOR WILL THEY BE DRIVING AROUND IN POLICE MARKED POLICE UNIT. SO TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE A CITIZEN LIVING WITHIN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. AND YOU’RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A BACKGROUND CHECK AND NOT HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD. WE’RE L

City council split on revival of Citizens Observer Patrol as Birmingham police seek 200 volunteers

Birmingham police will be looking for 200 volunteers to help them fight crime across the city.They recently got permission from city council to do this, but not everyone is on the same page about bringing back the citizen's patrol board. Some councilors say it’s too risky. The chief says these volunteers will strictly be the eyes and ears of the police department. And that won't come easy because they must be trained through Birmingham’s Police Academy, but that's enough to sway some councilors.There were five councilors who said yes and four who abstained when it came to voting for COP. Councilor Hunter Williams was very vocal in saying no. His reason is that he remembers when there was a citizen observer patrol years ago in the Woodlawn area. He recalls it ending because of the lack of funding, and a volunteer got beat up while on duty. He adds that letting these volunteers drive in city-owned vehicles could be a liability nightmare."I have a lot of the issues with this, safety issues. I think there's going to be an issue for your office. There's already morale having to deal with already short staff. I think if we're going to be providing them vehicles, I think there are vehicles that can be better served for actual officers instead of old ladies riding around reporting things,�� Williams said.On Wednesday, at a news conference, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin defended the citizens patrol board. He says they're already thinking about where they want to implement it and that volunteers won't be put in situations where they'll be in harm’s way.“We have to find something we've already found to place citizens and share their information with police in real-time. We believe in the places we're thinking about. It’s not crimes against persons per se. It’s not in situations where they will be in harm’s way,�� Woodfin said.Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond says the volunteers will not have law enforcement power, and they will not be in marked police units.In order to volunteer for the program, members will have to meet these requirements:Be a Birmingham citizenPass a background checkCannot have a criminal historyComplete a training conducted by the Birmingham Police Department.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Birmingham police will be looking for 200 volunteers to help them fight crime across the city.

They recently got permission from city council to do this, but not everyone is on the same page about bringing back the citizen's patrol board.

Some councilors say it’s too risky. The chief says these volunteers will strictly be the eyes and ears of the police department. And that won't come easy because they must be trained through Birmingham’s Police Academy, but that's enough to sway some councilors.

There were five councilors who said yes and four who abstained when it came to voting for COP. Councilor Hunter Williams was very vocal in saying no. His reason is that he remembers when there was a citizen observer patrol years ago in the Woodlawn area. He recalls it ending because of the lack of funding, and a volunteer got beat up while on duty. He adds that letting these volunteers drive in city-owned vehicles could be a liability nightmare.

"I have a lot of the issues with this, safety issues. I think there's going to be an issue for your office. There's already morale having to deal with already short staff. I think if we're going to be providing them vehicles, I think there are vehicles that can be better served for actual officers instead of old ladies riding around reporting things,�� Williams said.

On Wednesday, at a news conference, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin defended the citizens patrol board. He says they're already thinking about where they want to implement it and that volunteers won't be put in situations where they'll be in harm’s way.

“We have to find something we've already found to place citizens and share their information with police in real-time. We believe in the places we're thinking about. It’s not crimes against persons per se. It’s not in situations where they will be in harm’s way,�� Woodfin said.

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond says the volunteers will not have law enforcement power, and they will not be in marked police units.

In order to volunteer for the program, members will have to meet these requirements:

Be a Birmingham citizen
Pass a background check
Cannot have a criminal history
Complete a training conducted by the Birmingham Police Department.

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City council split on revival of Citizens Observer Patrol as Birmingham police seek 200 volunteers

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