Birmingham to Send Up to 40 Police Officers to Presidential Inauguration

On Tuesday morning, Birmingham city councilors have approved a proposal to deploy up to 40 police officers to Washington D.C. for the impending presidential inauguration in January. This decision was made despite the city’s known deficiency in police personnel, falling short by an estimated 300 officers.

Concerns Over Staffing Shortages

Councilor Valerie Abbott expressed unease about dispatching a substantial number of officers given the department’s current staffing crisis. “We have this problem with the police department, of not having enough people, and it just bothered me to see that we were gonna send up to 40 of them out of town, for how long? a few days?” raised Abbott.

However, a representative from the mayor’s office assured Abbott and other concerned councilors that the contingent sent to the inauguration would not exceed 40 officers. The representative further stressed that the final figure could be significantly less, and the exact number of deployed officers will depend on the city’s law enforcement needs at the time.

Ordinance Receives Support

Despite concerns, Councilor Hunter Williams, among others, backed the proposal, expressing confidence in the city’s ability to maintain proper law enforcement coverage during the officers’ absence. “We do have the staffing capability to cover the city fully and send under 40 officers to the presidential inauguration,” affirmed Williams.

Williams further justified the decision, emphasizing the importance of Birmingham officers interacting with different departments at a federal level and outside agencies in Jefferson county.

Officers to Act as Deputy US Marshalls

This ordinance signifies a cooperation between the Birmingham Police Department (BPD), the U.S. Attorney’s office, and the D.C. Metro police. As part of the agreement, the selected officers will be sworn in as deputy U.S. Marshals to serve during the Presidential Inauguration from January 17th to January 21st, 2025. This practice has been followed during previous inaugurations as well.

The financial expenses for the officers’ deployment, including travel and accommodation, are to be covered by the city initially but will later be reimbursed by the U.S. Attorney’s office. Regardless of the presidential election outcome in November, Birmingham is set to contribute its officers for the significant event.