Birmingham crime intervention organization makes ‘Free the Streets’ initiative permanent
By Michal Higdon
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WVTM) — The Urban League of Alabama, in partnership with Birmingham officials and other organizations, is expanding its community violence intervention program.
The expansion comes after a successful pilot in 2025 which helped contribute to a 42% reduction in homicides in the city. Birmingham reported a decline in homicides from 152 in 2024 to 88 in 2025, a result attributed to a coordinated effort involving law enforcement, community organizations, data, and residents who reject violence as a norm.
“Our communities have dealt with violence for generations and now it stops,” Uche Bean, the director of the Birmingham Office of Community Safety Initiatives, said. “Public safety isn’t about lowering numbers. It’s not just about data. It’s about people. And I’m thankful that we are now making those decisions that are going to impact the community in the long run, for generations to come.”
The program, which encompasses a partnership between the Urban League of Alabama, City of Birmingham, Trajectory Changing Solutions and Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, targets Birmingham’s 35204 ZIP code. It uses street outreach, conflict mediation, and community-based prevention strategies to prevent shootings.
Leaders emphasize the importance of interrupting violence as a key component of the program.
“Our street team may be out at 11:00 at night,” William Barnes, Urban League of Alabama’s president, said. “If they’re talking with people that now trust them, can they have a conversation about, ‘Listen, I’m really thinking about committing some type of act of violence.’ Can our team actually talk them down from being able to do that? And so that’s what crime prevention, crime intervention really is.”
This initiative is part of the “Free the Streets” program, which focuses on people most likely to be involved in shootings. Leaders describe it as evidence-based and note that many residents, including those at high risk of committing crimes, are grateful for the program’s intervention.
“Many of the residents are very thankful,” Barnes says. “I can tell you this, some of the residents who actually are at high risk of committing the crimes are also relieved because there’s a conversation to give them a way out. Most of the people who commit crimes are not necessarily interested in committing said crimes. They just have no way out. And this is an opportunity for us to address that and help them do something different.”
“We’re not trying to interfere with law enforcement work, we are just trying to complement law enforcement work,” Latonya Tate, who represents Council District 9 and a big proponent of the work, says. “Any time that you’re a high risk individual, your actions, your decisions bring about consequences. So, we want to get ahead of this and offer preventative measures. And as it has been stated here, there’s substantial ability and long-term solutions. We are in this for the long haul.”
Norman Livingston Kerr, chief executive officer for Trajectory Changing Solutions, thanked everyone who is taking part in this initiative.
“These initiatives don’t happen by accident, they happen because someone is willing to push, advocate and stay in the fight long enough to see them supported and sustained,” Kerr said.
Last month, the Birmingham City Council unanimously voted to continue funding multiple violence intervention programs. The Urban League of Alabama is looking forward to this program succeeding and would love to expand the program to all ZIP codes across the city.
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