Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper spoke about fighting crime in our Fox 6 News and Noon show. Source: WBRC video
Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper shared the latest crime statistics with the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday. Source: WBRC videoBIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -
Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper announced today major crime is down 11 percent compared to this time last year.
Property thefts are down 11 percent and auto thefts are down by a third, or 33 percent. Chief Roper added that the car theft number would be lowered by half if people didn't walk off and leave their cars running or keys inside.
Assaults are down 19 percent, rapes are down by 30 percent. Robberies are the only category that was up, by two percent. The headline-grabbing homicide rate was even through June, at 31. But Roper was quick to point out that number is even with last year, which was the lowest murder rate in Birmingham in almost 40 years.
"The bottom line is our officers and professional staff members continue to work hard out there, and with increased community support, we're making progress," Roper told the city council.
"It's easy to lose sight of that. But when I stand here and say crime's down 11 percent, there are many cities across the country who wish they could say that," the police chief said.
Roper says updated numbers through last month show the homicide and robbery rates slightly down compared to this point in 2011.
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