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SHORTAGE? JOHN? WELL GUY LET ME SAY THIS OVER THE YEARS WHEN I’VE REPORTED ON THIS PROBLEM, IT WAS BASICALLY 100 OFFICERS DOWN TO A NUMBER OF AROUND 750 HERE IN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. NOW THAT NUMBER HAS DROPPED TO 430. AND THE CITY’S FINEST IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE PRAYING FOR REINFORCEMENTS. S MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, WE REPORTED THAT BIRMINGHAM POLICE WAS DOWN ABOUT 100 OFFICERS. THE FOP PRESIDENT AT THE TIME CALLED IT A CRITICAL CRISIS. NOW WE’VE LEARNED THE CITY HAS ABOUT HALF AS MANY BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO FIGHT CRIME. PEOPLE CALL THAT CRITICAL. WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS? THIS IS ALMOST A STATE OF EMERGENCY. AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHY. WHY WE HAVE SO MANY CRIMES THAT ARE NOW UNSOLVED. SO MANY CRIMES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. WEDNESDAY, CITY COUNCIL CONFIRMED BIRMINGHAM HAD ONLY ABOUT 430 OF THE BUDGETED 725 OFFICERS, AND AS THE HOMICIDE RATE CONTINUES TO SKYROCKET, VETERAN OFFICERS TELL US THE CITY NEEDS TO DO MORE TO BEEF UP THE RANKS TO CURB THE CRIME. WE’RE FACING A WAR. WE’RE ACTUALLY AT WAR AND UNTIL THEY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU’LL HAVE TO PUT YOUR MEN AND WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINE IN ORDER TO STOP THIS UNTIL WE GET THE RESERVES UP, 117 YEAR VETERAN TOLD US THE MORALE IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW AND GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY, PROMPTING MORE OFFICERS TO RETIRE OR TRANSFER. TWO SOURCES CLAIMED IF THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS DROPS MUCH LOWER, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO BRING IN THE NATIONAL GUARD TO HELP KEEP THE PEACE. IS THAT AN EXAGGERATION? UH, I DON’T THINK IT IS. NOT ONLY IF IT DROPS LOWER, IF THERE IS AN EVENT OF A CATASTROPHIC OCCURRENCE. STATE REPRESENTATIVE ONE, OLA GOVAN HOPES THE CITY FINDS A WAY TO FILL IN THE STAFFING GAPS TO HELP NEIGHBORHOODS FEEL SAFER. NOW, WE DID REACH OUT TO THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GET THEIR TAKE ON THE STAFFING ISSUE, THEY TOLD US WE’D HAVE TO TALK TO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, CITY HALL, WHO IN TURN TOLD US TO REACH OUT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LI