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POSSIBILITY OF FEDERAL CHARGES. AND TONIGHT, BIRMINGHAM POLICE ARE IMPLEMENTING A NEW CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGY. A SEVEN POINT PLAN AIMED AT CRACKING DOWN ON VIOLENCE AND MAKING SURE OFFICERS HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITIES THEY PROTECT. �������� 13 JARVIS ROBERTSON TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT THIS PLAN ENTAILS. WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO ADD, JARVIS? WELL, RIGHT NOW THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME HEARING FROM INTERIM POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL PICKETT ABOUT HIS PLAN FOR THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. SOME OF WHAT WAS LAID OUT IS A CONTINUATION OF WHAT’S ALREADY BEING DONE AND OTHERS ARE NEW CONCEPTS. NOW, PICKETT WAS JOINED BY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FROM OUR AREA. HE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT WILL ADDRESS CRIME THROUGH BPD, INTEL, PRECINCT CAPTAINS AND COMMANDERS, SHOTSPOTTER DATA, WHICH CAN ALSO IDENTIFY FULLY AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE AND CRIME ANALYSTS. NOW, THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, PICKETT SAYS THAT HE HAS SEVEN PRIORITIES WITH THE FORCE RIGHT NOW. FIRST UP IS THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT TEAM, THE CRIME SUPPRESSION UNIT, WHICH ARE BOTH PART OF THE TACTICAL DIVISION. NOW, THESE OFFICERS WILL SEEK OUT SHOOTERS AND PEOPLE WHO BREAK LAWS. SECOND, THE CRIME REDUCTION TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SWIFT ARRESTS. PICKETT SAYS SOMETIMES THE SUSPECT STILL HAVE THE WEAPON ON THEM. WHEN CAUGHT. THIRDLY, WORK CLOSELY WITH FEDERAL PARTNERS AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, WHICH HE SAYS THAT MORE FEDERAL INDICTMENTS ARE COMING. NOW, FOURTH, PARTNER WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO CREATE A STOLEN VEHICLE TASK FORCE. HE SAYS SOME OF THOSE SUSPECTS USED THE STOLEN CARS TO COMMIT SOME OF THE VIOLENT CRIME. FIFTH, THAT IS, WORK WITH THE ATF TO CRACK DOWN ON FIREARM TRAFFICKING AND STRAW SALES. SIX, WHICH IS A NEW CONCEPT HAVE UTILITY CAPTAINS DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS BECAUSE THAT IS CONSIDERED THE MOST BUSY AND MOST VIOLENT TIMES, WHICH IS ALSO WHEN THE LEAST AMOUNT OF LEADERSHIP IS WORKING. LASTLY, HE WANTS TO IMPLEMENT A DISCHARGING UNIT. THIS WILL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO FIRE INTO A DWELLING IS A COMBINATION OF STRATEGY, MEANINGFUL INVESTIGATIONS, AND WHAT SOME WOULD CALL IS A STICK APPROACH, WHICH IS DIRECT PRESSURE TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF OUR CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE. NOW, I DID REACH OUT TO BPD THIS AFTERNOON TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO THE CRIME TRENDS WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEING IN BIRMINGHAM. ALSO, THERE IS LEGISLATION MAKING ITS WAY THROU