BPD Chief: "Preventing violence also requires a community that refuses to normalize it"

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — A recent string of deadly shootings has put Birmingham's violent crime problem back in the spotlight. The I-Team looks at the numbers, the police department's strategy and what community leaders say needs to change. While Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett says homicides are down, he acknowledged that every homicide, shooting, and violent crime represents a life impacted, a family affected, and a community that deserves answers.

Recent homicides Five people were killed in separate shootings across Birmingham over the span of just a few days last week, a deadly stretch that renewed concerns in neighborhoods across the city.

For Eldridge Knighton, the violence is personal.

Knighton, president of the Morrell Todd Resident Council, lives in the Kingston neighborhood, where two people were killed in separate shootings during that stretch.

He also knows firsthand what it means to survive gun violence.

“When I was a cab driver robbed and shot in my head twice, left blind in one eye, still got a bullet in my head,” Knighton told the I-Team. “And the effects that it did to me and it changed my life.”

The recent killings included a man shot and killed in the Powderly neighborhood on Halloween afternoon. That same day, nine people were shot in two separate incidents near Legion Field following the Magic City Classic. One of the victims, a 19-year-old, died.

On Nov. 1, another man was killed outside an abandoned building in Midtown. Days later, two people were killed in separate shootings in Kingston.

SEE RELATED COVERAGE OF THESE INCIDENTS REPORTED ON ABC33/40:

Knighton said he has also seen the danger gunfire poses to children in his neighborhood.

“And we just had a shooting about like three weeks ago, where the kids was outside playing,” he said. “And next thing we know, shots ring out, and children are running. Now, if a child get hit, then what?”

He said the consequences for people who put others in danger should be serious.

“I'm a parent, you're a parent. So no, you need to go. You need to go,” Knighton said. “If you hit somebody innocent, that means you need to go, because you're careless. You're careless with what you're doing, and them guns is not the answer. So yeah, you do the crime, you do the time.”

Birmingham police chief points to declining crime numbers Despite the recent violence, Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett says the city has made significant progress in reducing crime.

In a written response to the I-Team provided Monday afternoon, Pickett said Birmingham had recorded 36 murders or non-negligent manslaughters in 2026 at the time of his response. He said homicides were down 42% compared with the same point in 2025 and 70% compared with 2024.

Pickett also said overall Part I crime was down 13%.

He emphasized that the department does not consider those reductions a reason to become complacent.

“Those numbers are significant, but I want to be clear: We are not satisfied simply because crime is down,” Pickett wrote. “One homicide is one too many, and our responsibility is to continue driving those numbers down.”

In a statement, Pickett said the department recognizes the impact of recent violence while also looking at the broader crime trends.

“I want the public to understand that two things can be true at the same time,” he wrote. “We can acknowledge that we have experienced some very serious and tragic incidents recently while also recognizing that Birmingham has made significant progress in reducing violent crime.”

Pickett said recent incidents do not erase the progress made, but that progress does not excuse the violence that continues.

Aggravated assault data show broader impact Data provided by the Birmingham Police Department to the I-Team show the number of people reported as aggravated assault victims through Nov. 2.

The department reported 1,484 aggravated assault victims. Of those, 158 were shooting victims.

BPD said the remaining aggravated assault victims involved other types of weapons. The department said it does not currently have a breakdown identifying the specific weapons used in those assaults.

The figures distinguish aggravated assaults involving firearms from the larger category of aggravated assault cases. They do not mean all 1,484 victims were shot.

What is the 8-Point Crime Reduction plan ? Specialized Enforcement Teams: Tactical units and crime suppression squads are deployed based on data from ShotSpotter, precinct commanders, and BPD intelligence. Swift Apprehension of Violent Offenders: Focused arrests of individuals with outstanding violent felony warrants. Federal Partnerships: Collaborations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF to pursue federal indictments and disrupt gun trafficking. Stolen Vehicles Task Force: A joint effort with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to reduce crimes involving stolen cars. Crackdown on Illegal Firearms: Targeting straw purchases and trafficking in partnership with the ATF. Increased Command Presence: “Utility Captains” deployed during peak crime hours to strengthen on-the-ground leadership. Proactive Discharging Team: Officers assigned to intercept potential shooters before violence erupts. Chief Pickett also reintroduced Police Athletic Teams (PAT) to connect with youth, drawing on his own experience as a kid in the program. Pickett says enforcement teams and partnerships are key Pickett said the department's eight-point crime reduction plan was designed to change how officers approach violent crime through intelligence, accountability, strategic enforcement, technology, partnerships and community engagement.

He said the plan is not dependent on one initiative, but identified several enforcement efforts he considers particularly impactful.

The Special Enforcement Team, known as SET, focuses on individuals suspected of involvement in shootings and other violent offenses, according to Pickett.

He also pointed to the Violent Crimes Apprehension Team, or VCAT, which he said has strengthened the department's ability to identify and arrest people wanted for homicides, attempted murders and robberies.

Pickett said partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney's Office have also helped the department pursue cases involving repeat violent offenders.

Knighton said he believes Pickett's leadership has made a difference.

“I think Chief Pickett is doing pretty good,” Knighton said. “I applaud what they're doing.”

He said he has noticed the decline in homicides and would like to see the numbers continue to fall. He also said he appreciates seeing the chief more involved in the community and encouraging young people to avoid turning to a gun to solve conflicts.

Pickett says homicide investigations have changed under his leadership Pickett also pointed to changes in how the department investigates homicides.

He said the department developed Pickett's Investigative Protocol, or PIP, during 2025 and fully implemented it in 2026.

According to Pickett, the department's homicide clearance rate was approximately 53% before the protocol was implemented. He said the department maintained a 100% clearance rate during the first six months of 2026 and was maintaining a 95% rate as November began.

A homicide clearance rate measures cases cleared by arrest or exceptional means. It is not a conviction rate.

Pickett said the changes included greater investigative accountability, increased supervisory oversight and a more disciplined process for following cases.

He said solving homicides can also help prevent additional violence by disrupting potential retaliation and identifying people responsible for violent crimes.

Pastor says addressing violence takes the whole community Pastor Steve Green, of More Than Conquerors Faith Church, said addressing violence requires more than law enforcement.

He pointed to the role of government, schools, churches and police, saying each has a responsibility to help make a difference.

“You know, as a native of Birmingham, having been here all my life. I've seen those trends and those spikes. Birmingham, like most cities, most churches, most families, we go through spikes just like Israel. For one moment it's complete safety and then, as the Bible says, whenever there's say peace and safety, then comes sudden destruction so I would say don't panic. As I've always watched the need for the whole village, the old African proverb says, no matter whether it's the classic or what year it is, the proverb says it takes the whole village and I've watched that for years in Birmingham when we see these spikes that when the government plays its part, when the schools education play their part, when the church play their part, when the police department play their part, it makes for change and just an eyewitness of this, I'm not really overly concerned,” Green told the I-Team.

He said he has seen Birmingham face difficult times before, including the violence of the 1960s, and believes there is still reason to be hopeful.

“I'm prayerful. I'm hopeful that, again, as I've seen in Birmingham, whether you're dealing with violence down through the 60s with the bombing of 16th Street or what we're dealing with with crime or homicides, there's no new thing under the sun. We've got to do what we've always done, keep hope alive," said Green.

Pickett also said preventing violence requires community involvement.

“But preventing violence also requires a community that refuses to normalize it,” he wrote.

Knighton said residents cannot wait until violence affects their own families before getting involved.

“And I encourage any and everybody, don't wait until something happens to your child to get involved into the community,” he said. “It's time for all of us to get back involved.”

What Chief Michael Pickett told the I-Team In addition to the statements included above, Pickett responded in writing to questions from the I-Team about Birmingham's crime statistics, the department's eight-point crime reduction plan, challenges in preventing violence and how the department measures its progress.

Below are our questions and full responses:

First, let me acknowledge the seriousness of the recent violence in our city. Every homicide, shooting, and violent crime represents a life impacted, a family affected, and a community that deserves answers. We recognize that, and we do not minimize the impact these incidents have on our residents.

However, it is equally important that we examine the totality of what is happening in Birmingham and evaluate our progress using facts, data, and measurable results.

As of today, homicides in Birmingham are down 42% compared to this same point last year, and 70% from 2024. As there has been discussion about this being a historically safe year in the murder category. I’d like to point out that Birmingham has only had 36 murders/ non-negligent manslaughter so far in 2026. This is the metric used in 1951’s record low. They excluded justifiable homicides in their count of 44.

Overall Part I crime is also trending downward, to the tune of 13%.

Those numbers are significant, but I want to be clear: We are not satisfied simply because crime is down. One homicide is one too many, and our responsibility is to continue driving those numbers down.

When I introduced the Birmingham Police Department's 8-Point Crime Reduction Plan, it was never intended to be a temporary initiative or a PR campaign. It was designed to fundamentally change how we approach violent crime through intelligence, accountability, strategic enforcement, technology, partnerships, and community engagement.

We are seeing results, but we also understand that this work requires constant evaluation, adjustments, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of our residents.

I-TEAM QUESTION: Since shootings are included in assault statistics, can the department break down how many aggravated assaults involved firearms or other deadly weapons? How many involved shootings versus other types of assaults?

RESPONSE: "As of November 2, 2026, there were 1,484 aggravated assault victims. Of that number, 158 were shooting victims.

The remaining aggravated assault victims involved other types of weapons; however, there is not currently a breakdown available identifying the specific weapons used in those assaults.

That is an important distinction because not every aggravated assault involves a firearm, and not every aggravated assault represents a shooting."

"We believe in looking beyond the overall crime numbers and examining the circumstances surrounding violent incidents," Chief Pickett wrote.

I-TEAM QUESTION: Of the multiple-point crime plan Chief Pickett introduced, which initiatives in the 8-Point Crime Reduction Plan have been most effective?

RESPONSE: "I would tell you that the strength of my plan is that it is not dependent on one initiative. All eight points work together, and each serves a specific purpose in our overall crime-reduction strategy. However, there are several enforcement initiatives that have been particularly impactful."

"First, our Special Enforcement Team, or SET, has been instrumental in focusing enforcement efforts with precision. We are concentrating on individuals who are known to be involved in shootings, carrying out violent offenses, and contributing to the cycle of gun violence. We are not interested in simply making arrests to generate numbers. We want to identify the individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety and take deliberate, intelligence-driven action against them."

"Second, our Violent Crimes Apprehension Team, or VCAT, has strengthened our ability to quickly identify and apprehend individuals wanted for homicides, attempted murders, and robberies. Speed matters. The quicker we identify and apprehend violent offenders, the less opportunity they have to victimize someone else."

"Third, our partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies and the United States Attorney's Office have been extremely valuable. We are working together to identify repeat violent offenders, develop stronger cases, and pursue appropriate federal prosecution when applicable."

"The message is simple: If you are repeatedly engaging in violent criminal behavior in Birmingham, we are going to identify you, investigate you, apprehend you, and work with our prosecutorial partners to hold you accountable.Our goal is not just to arrest individuals. It is to disrupt the cycle of violence and prevent the next victim."

I-TEAM QUESTION: Are there areas of the plan that have not produced the results expected? What adjustments are being made?

RESPONSE: "Any responsible leader will tell you that you cannot implement a strategy, walk away from it, and assume everything will continue working.

"I continuously evaluate every component of the 8-Point Crime Reduction Plan. We examine crime trends, shooting locations, shifts in offender behavior, investigative outcomes, arrests, and the effectiveness of our deployment strategies. Where something is working, we strengthen it. We have recently added to the numbers of the SET (Special Enforcement Team). In fact, they were the ones who caught the first suspects charged in the MCC Shooting. They are highly effective."

I-TEAM QUESTION: What are the biggest challenges BPD faces in preventing shootings and homicides?

RESPONSE: "One of our biggest challenges is the willingness of individuals to resort to gun violence over disagreements, personal conflicts, and disputes that should never escalate to someone losing their life. We continue to see situations where individuals use firearms to settle personal disagreements. Unfortunately, those situations can quickly turn into tragedies, and innocent people can become victims simply because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Another significant challenge is the availability of firearms and the repeated involvement of individuals who have demonstrated a willingness to engage in violent behavior."

"We also recognize that law enforcement alone cannot solve every underlying issue contributing to violence. We need parents, families, community leaders, businesses, schools, and our criminal justice partners engaged in this effort."

"Our responsibility is to identify threats, intervene when appropriate, investigate violent crimes, apprehend offenders, and work to prevent future victimization. But preventing violence also requires a community that refuses to normalize it. We cannot arrest our way out of every problem, but we absolutely must hold violent offenders accountable."

I-TEAM QUESTION: How is the department evaluating whether its crime-reduction strategies are working?

RESPONSE: "We evaluate our effectiveness through measurable outcomes, not simply activity."

"We look at homicide trends, nonfatal shootings, aggravated assaults, robberies, overall Part I crime, clearance rates, repeat offenders, arrests, and the geographic concentration of violent crime."

"We also evaluate how quickly we are apprehending individuals responsible for violent offenses and whether our enforcement efforts are disrupting patterns of violence."

"For example, Birmingham is currently experiencing a 72% reduction in homicides compared to this point last year, with 30 fewer homicides. That is an important measurement of progress."

"But we also look beyond homicide numbers. We examine whether shootings are decreasing, whether individuals responsible for repeated violence are being apprehended, and whether our strategies are producing sustainable results."

"We don't measure success by how many officers we put on the street or how many arrests we make. We measure success by whether fewer people are being shot, fewer families are experiencing tragedy, and our residents are safer."

I-TEAM QUESTION: Given the recent string of violent incidents, what would the department like the public to understand about its efforts?

RESPONSE: "I want the public to understand that two things can be true at the same time. We can acknowledge that we have experienced some very serious and tragic incidents recently while also recognizing that Birmingham has made significant progress in reducing violent crime. A few incidents, regardless of how tragic or concerning, do not erase the progress that has been made. But neither does our progress excuse us from addressing the violence that continues to occur. But I also want our residents to understand that public safety is a shared responsibility. We need individuals to walk away from confrontations, parents to talk to their children about the consequences of gun violence, businesses to take security seriously, and community members to report information that could prevent someone from becoming the next victim. We are committed to doing our part, and we need the community alongside us."

"One of the most significant changes we have implemented under my administration is what we call PIP, Pickett's Investigative Protocol. This was developed over the course of the year in 2025 and fully implemented in 2026. I recognized that if we were going to meaningfully reduce homicides, we couldn't focus exclusively on preventing the next homicide. We also had to fundamentally change how we investigated the homicides that had already occurred. We had to create a culture of investigative accountability, urgency, ownership, and relentless follow-through."

"When I implemented PIP, our homicide clearance rate was approximately 53%. Through a restructuring of our investigative approach, heightened expectations, greater supervisory accountability, and a more disciplined investigative process, we transformed the way our Homicide Unit operates. For the first six months of this year, our department maintained a 100% homicide clearance rate. As we enter November, we are currently maintaining a 95% clearance rate. That is a tremendous accomplishment, but I want people to understand why those numbers matter beyond the statistics."

"Solving homicides is also a crime-prevention strategy. When individuals believe they can take someone's life and get away with it, that creates an environment where violence can continue. When we investigate these cases aggressively, identify those responsible, and hold them accountable, we disrupt that cycle. We also recognize that unresolved homicides can contribute to retaliation, additional violence, and a continued cycle of victimization. By quickly developing cases, identifying suspects, and apprehending those responsible, we create opportunities to interrupt that cycle before another family experiences the same tragedy."

"PIP has changed the expectations within our Homicide Unit. Every case matters. Every victim matters. Every family deserves answers. And every investigator understands that we have an obligation to pursue these cases with urgency and determination. I am extremely proud of the men and women in our Homicide Unit because they have embraced that responsibility and demonstrated what can happen when you combine a clear investigative process with leadership, accountability, and high expectations. We are no longer measuring our success simply by how many homicides we investigate. We are measuring it by how many we solve, how many offenders we hold accountable, and how many additional acts of violence we can potentially prevent."

Pickett stated in 2024 the homicide clearance rate before PIP was 53%. He stated that since PIP implementation, the first six months were 100% sustained homicide clearance rate and as of November 2026, its at 95%.

Pickett wrote:

"On investigative accountability: Accountability doesn't begin when someone is arrested. It begins with the expectation that every homicide will receive the urgency, attention, and investigative commitment it deserves." "On preventing future violence: Every homicide we solve is an opportunity to interrupt another potential act of violence. We are not just investigating what happened yesterday; we are working to prevent what could happen tomorrow." "Decisive Leadership: I didn't believe we could continue doing things the same way and expect different results. The PIP changed the expectations, changed the process, and changed the culture of our homicide investigations. The results speak for themselves." Unfortunately, police cannot predict the exact moment someone decides they want to take another person’s life or when they will act on that decision. Whether it is a heat-of-the-moment confrontation, an on-sight dispute, domestic violence, road rage, or violence occurring during the commission of illegal activity, these are some of the circumstances we encounter. These types of spontaneous and often unpredictable acts of violence are incredibly difficult for law enforcement to prevent before they happen.

I’ll end with this, it’s less than ideal to measure policing success solely recently spikes in crime or YTD reductions in violent assaults and homicides, we must also measure it by how effectively we investigate them, how quickly we identify and apprehend the persons responsible, and how many additional lives we may save by holding those individuals accountable.

BPD Chief: "Preventing violence also requires a community that refuses to normalize it"

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