A look at Mayor Randall Woodfin’s increase peace initiative two months later

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - It's been two months since Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin stood before the community and declared gun violence was a public health crisis.

Since then the violence and crime remain, but it was never supposed to be an easy fix.

According to Birmingham police there were 17 homicides since that time. That's more than January and February combined.

Aggravated assaults, including domestic cases are down. In the first two months of the year that number reached 464. March through April there were 461 cases.

“I don’t think anyone who is honest and open with you can stand up and say we don’t have an issue with property and violent crime. But I can say this, the new police chief has tried to curb this,” said Birmingham City Councilor Hunter Williams.

One of the ways he's addressing it is through a heavy police presence. Just this year the department has conducted nearly 300 checkpoints and removed 762 guns off the streets, with more than half of those guns being removed in March and April.

Williams is the Chairman of Birmingham City Council's Public Safety Committee said the police department is working to clear a number of cases .

"We have really beefed up the number of cases we are solving and as well as the rate we're solving these case. The men and women of the Birmingham police are working hard everyday to solve a lot of crime cases and we are asking the community to support in helping them," Williams continued.

Soon, Chief Patrick Smith will present a 2019 first quarter update to the Public Safety Committee

Monday, Mayor Woodfin is making good on some of his efforts, including a Community First Responder class.

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