February 2nd, 2017 - Press Release

“We should learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

In January 2016, there were 7 homicides in Birmingham’s jurisdiction as compared to 5 homicides in 2017 (down 2 homicides for the month). The purpose of the press conference today is to make it perfectly clear that the gun violence has to stop. There is no obvious answer to this apparent epidemic of violence. No one should use a gun to resolve differences. However, these types of actions affect us all: The parents and family members of the victims, the parents and family members of the killer, the law enforcement personnel who arrives at the scene and views a young male or female’s body lying in a pool of blood, the various communities and the court system who ultimately decides a young man or woman’s fate. 

Young people must learn that once you pull that trigger, there is a great likelihood that you may spend a considerable amount of what is left of your life in the prison system. Make no mistake, in partnership with law enforcement, we will aggressively investigate these cases. The District Attorney’s Office stands ready to vigorously prosecute these senseless, unjustified killings. 

We cannot be everywhere, but we can and will be here ready to do our part in remedying this plague in our communities. We ask that you do your part as well in helping us prevent the killings before they happen, before another person loses their life. Speak to your community, to your friends, and neighbors about the violence. Spread the word that it needs to stop. I myself have been and will also continue to attend the various community meetings throughout this county. I will continue to speak out against the violence. We can make a difference together.