Birmingham FOP says BPD staffing is at an all-time low
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. October 28 2022 Staffing problems within the Birmingham Police Department continue to persist officials said on Friday.
Currently, the police department is down by more than 200 officers because of nationwide shortages and low applicants in Jefferson County.
Officers within the department say that working in the city has been dangerous with fewer officers to answer calls or back-up other officers in dangerous situations.
The Fraternal Order of Police told local news station WBRC even more issues are at hand than what has previously been revealed.
FOP officials printed a multi-page packet of grievances from different FOP members.
It has complaints about pay, staffing, and morale. Officials said they intended to give it to Chief Scott Thurmond earlier this week at a Quality Circle meeting, but we’re told Thurmond did not show up, sending a Sergeant to the meeting instead.
The meetings are six month check-ins, where precinct members talk with leadership about their problems.
“I’ve never seen staffing this low,” Birmingham Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Elect Lawrence Billups said. “I’ve never seen morale this low.”
About 900 officers is how many Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond has said he needs for a fully staffed department, but Billups said that the police department only has around 500 officers total and even less patrolling the streets.
“It’s less than 350 patrol officers,” Billups said. “With 350 patrol officers to patrol Birmingham, we have no room for error. It puts a strain on officers. It puts a strain on reaction time.”
Some calls for help are going on answered and officers are frequently sent on calls alone.
Earlier this year, Thurmond implemented a 12-hour shift to put more officers on the streets. So far, it’s only been crews at the North precinct, but starting mid-November, all precincts will follow. Billups said he’s been working the 12-hour pilot program and it’s hurting morale.
“The majority of the officers here do not like the 12 hour,” Billups said. “Just being tired, the strain, not spending time with family, and it’s not a set schedule.”
Billups said officers are responding to anywhere from 9 to 20 calls a day on 12 hour shifts and that’s a higher volume than any other nearby departments. Those departments also pay more, causing BPD officers to leave. He said the 12 hour shift also gives officers less room for overtime.
“If it comes down to pay increase, insurance, if it comes down to take home cars, those are things that the city has to do to invest in the department,” Billups said. “A lot of guys are leaving, simply saying they are tired. Most departments around here are actively recruiting our men and women to come to their department and they are going.”
Billups said because of low staffing numbers, when it comes to staffing events, officers come in on their off days.
“Guys are being made to work extra events,” Billups said. “People are being threatened and people are being punished for not coming on their off days to these events. Single parents are bringing their children to these events because they have no one to keep them, because they are being told last minute to work these events. They are told if you don’t come, we are going to write you up. They also aren’t getting time and a half, where most of these events are funded at time and a half for each officer.”
It’s dangerous all the way around.
