Birmingham City Council approves Woodfin’s $15.8 million plan to recruit, retain police
Birmingham City Council approves Woodfin’s $15.8 million plan to recruit, retain police
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On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council approved a plan by Mayor Randall Woodfin aimed at recruiting and retaining police officers to fill 172 vacant patrol positions.
“We’re hiring in Birmingham,” Woodfin announced after the meeting.
The initiative, proposed on October 1 following a tragic mass shooting at Hush Lounge on September 21 that left four people dead and 17 injured, seeks to attract candidates who value service, community, and trust-building. Birmingham Police FOP President Deangelo Hall expressed his support for the plan.
Key elements of the proposal include raising the signing bonus for new officers to $10,000 and introducing a quarterly retention bonus of $2,500 for those with two or more years of service. Currently, the police department has a total of 223 vacancies across all sworn positions, including the 172 patrol officer openings, as well as 34 roles in administrative, operations, and investigative units, plus 17 vacancies for sergeants, lieutenants, and captains.
