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WELL, BACK HERE AT HOME, A BIG CHANGE FOR THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. CHIEF SCOTT THURMOND TODAY ANNOUNCING HIS RETIREMENT. �������� 13 S LISA CRANE IS LIVE AND LOCAL AT BPD HEADQUARTERS. LISA DID THIS SURPRISE BIRMINGHAM OFFICERS? WELL, I DON’T THINK MOST OF THEM WERE SURPRISED BY THE CHIEF’S DESIRE TO STEP AWAY FROM HIS ROLE AS LEADER OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT SOME WERE SURPRISED HE WOULD CHOOSE TO TAKE THAT STEP NOW, AS THE CITY IS DEALING WITH A SERIOUS INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME. CHIEF SCOTT THURMOND HAS BEEN IN THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT’S TOP POSITION FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS AS INTERIM CHIEF FOR ALMOST SIX MONTHS BEFORE BEING OFFICIALLY APPOINTED TO THE POSITION IN JUNE OF 2022. I TURNED 50 THIS YEAR, SO I SPENT 26 OF THOSE 50 YEARS HERE WITH THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM AND THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING EASY TO WALK AWAY FROM, BUT HE TOOK THAT DIFFICULT STEP WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT TODAY. HE DIDN’T CLOSE THE DOOR, HOWEVER, ON THE POSSIBILITY HE MIGHT ACCEPT ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITION IN THE FUTURE. I THINK WE’LL JUST HAVE TO WATCH AND SEE AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT THEMSELVES AND JUST SEE WHAT THE PATH FORWARD IS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. WHILE THE SEARCH IS ON FOR HIS REPLACEMENT, CHIEF DEPUTY MICHAEL PICKETT WILL STEP INTO THE ROLE. HE HAS 20 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE AND PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN OPERATION KNIGHT RIDER, THE CITY’S CRACKDOWN ON EXHIBITION DRIVING THAT NETTED ALMOST 150 FELONY ARRESTS. BIRMINGHAM IS MY HOME. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE. I LOVE THE CITY. HE SAYS HE KNOWS HE HAS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY. MY NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO MAKE THE CITIZENS OF BIRMINGHAM FEEL SAFER AND TO MAKE THE CRIMINALS UNCOMFORTABLE. AND FEARFUL IN OUR CITY. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BIRMINGHAM FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE SAYS WITH THE CRIME, THE CITY IS FACING RIGHT NOW, HE IS HOPEFUL THE MAYOR WILL FIND A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT SOON AND THEN GIVE THAT PERSON THE AUTONOMY THEY NEED TO DO THE JOB. HE HAS TO ALLOW WHOEVER COMES IN AS THE NEXT CHIEF TO ACTUALLY RUN HIS DEPARTMENT AND AND UNLESS HE DOES THAT, WE HOPE NOT TO BE STANDING HERE WITH Y’ALL IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS DEALING WITH THE SAME SITUATION. NOW, LAWRENCE BILLUPS TOLD ME THAT THE FIRST THING ANY NEW CHIEF MUST DO IS TO TRY TO REBUILD MORALE AT THE BPD, AND THEN COME UP WITH A PLAN TO ACTUALLY TURN THE TIDE OF CRIME AND GET THE OFFICERS HERE TO BUY INTO T