Birmingham PD initiating Operation Close Out to keep city safe during holiday season

Published: Nov. 30, 2022 at 8:15 PM CST

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Birmingham Police are announcing a new operation that will begin Wednesday night and run through the end of the year.

The goal is to cut back on crime and give everyone a safer holiday season in the Magic City.

Chief Scott Thurmond is stressing to both his officers and to us that crime typically rises during the holiday season. That is why BPD is implementing Operation Close Out in an effort to battle that trend, and keep you safe.

“We want to put our best foot forward and do everything we can to provide a safe environment for all of our citizens and everyone coming into our city during the holiday season,” said Chief Thurmond.

The officers participating in Operation Close Out are not being pulled off of active patrol units. Instead, they will be additional resources tasked specifically with stopping criminals

“Our patrol units, more often than not, are answering 911 calls and so they are not subject to those calls. They may back them up and assist them, but they are out looking for the bad guys and bad girls.”

The operation will have somewhere between 35 and 50 active officers a day. The boost in numbers will allow the unit to track crimes, which can increase during the holiday season.

“Your vehicle break-ins, your home burglaries, your business burglaries. People are trying to steal to get money or things for the Christmas or holiday season. So those are the ones we will attack, and of course violent crimes. Our shootings and homicides, things like that will be addressed as well.”

Police leaders will also be using crime data when determining where to send officers each day in December.

“We look at the crime that has occurred in the last 24 hours. We look at how we can prevent that crime for the next 24 hours, so we adjust our resources based on where it is occurring and the crime trends we are seeing. Whether it be a robbery trend or something of that nature, so that is how we will adjust our resources daily.”

Operation Close Out begins on December 1 and Chief Scott Thurmond stresses it will be a seven day a week operation through the end of the year.

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