Alabama State Representative, Juandalynn Givan, has demanded the immediate resignation of Birmingham Police Chief, Scott Thurmond.
On Monday, October 7th, Rep. Givan made a request. She stated that she believes Thurmond should step down because he failed to address the ongoing violence happening on the streets within and around her legislative district, which she describes as a “never-ending bloodbath”.
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- He has failed to lead the department in a manner in which the citizens know and believe that he is in fact in control.
- Fifty percent of the deaths in 2024 have occurred and gone unsolved in the West and North-West neighborhoods throughout Birmingham.
- Thurmond has for more than a year failed to properly develop and/or execute a plan that would lead to a reduction in the number of killings and mass shootings in Birmingham.
- He refuses to provide the public with correct and timely information to assist them in making decisions about their own safety.
- Thurmond is responsible for the low morale throughout the Birmingham Police Department, which has led to a lack in confidence in his leadership.
According to her, if Thurmond does not resign, she is calling for Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and the city council to terminate him without any delay.
Givan respectfully urges the mayor and city council to appoint a police chief with the power to select his own deputy chiefs and provide timely information to the community when requested.
According to Rick Journey, the Director of Communications for the City of Birmingham, he responded with the following statement:
Rep. Reed Ingram of Pike Road has introduced a bill that proposes giving the governor or attorney general the authority to appoint an interim police chief in cities that experience exceptionally high crime rates. Under this bill, the appointed interim chief would be accountable directly to the governor or attorney general.
