Hitting the streets in Blue - Birmingham's Finest Speak

The Birmingham Police Department is the largest police department in the State of Alabama with Jefferson County serving as the largest of the 67 counties making up the state. Chief A.C. Roper has been on the job for a little more than a year and is stead fast on reducing crime across the City.

Here with me live at NBC13 are Officers Pryor and Officer Hendrix, whose main beat is the Southtown community area near St. Vincents Hospital. These officers have been on the job for a total of 7 1/2 years, giving their support to the efforts of ending violence and protecting the residents of Birmingham. This is not a job of convenience for law enforcement, but a passion to the commitment of protecting and serving the public.

Unfortunately, domestic violence disturbance calls are the most dangerous of all the calls that law enforcement can receive. Alabama is currently ranked #2 in the nation for law enforcement homicide deaths. In April 2009, five officers lost their life in the line of duty in the span of thirty days in Florida and Pennsylvania responding to domestic disturbances.

Officer Pryor and Officer Hendrix are being proactive in their approach to domestic violence and violence in the community, by going back to good old fashion foot patrol and building relationships in the community, with residents by showing a presence and direct communication. They are building trust by developing relationships with the kids who recognize them, and can call them by name as well as the people who know that they are there.

One of the most difficult aspects of their jobs is being called to the scene of a crime, and once they arrive, the victim or caller does not want to prosecute the perpertrator but use them as a means to show that they are unafraid. This complicates their roles and increases the level of danger to them as the victim, perpetrator and others have the potential to turn against them.

These officers while they understand the tactic, they also know that this can lead to them being called back to the scene because of additional violence. They are also concerned about the number of unreported incidents that may involve victims who don't know that they are truly there to help.

Officer Pryor and Hendrix, patrolling the streets in Southtown community....