Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has been named Crime Stopper of the Year for 2026 by Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama. The award was presented to Mayor Woodfin at the Crime Stoppers of the Year annual luncheon at the Finley Center in Hoover, Alabama where over 650 were in attendance.
The Crime Stopper of the Year Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to fighting crime and supporting Crime Stoppers programs. The award is given annually by Crime Stoppers organizations to individuals, often law enforcement officers, who demonstrate exceptional dedication and effectiveness in their work to reduce crime.
Mayor Woodfin was chosen for the award for his dedication to fighting crime and his support and commitment to Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, the organization stated.
“Whether you’re an individual or a business, we all want our communities to be safer,” said Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama Board Chairman J. Frank Barefield, Jr. “This year, we’re recognizing Mayor Woodfin for his ongoing efforts and policies to reduce crime and make Metro Birmingham a better place to live for everyone.”
Elected in 2017, under Mayor Woodfin’s leadership and “A Safer City for All” platform, Birmingham has seen a 50 percent year-over-year reduction in homicides, $15.8 million invested in recruitment and retention so the Birmingham Police Department is fully staffed, the building of a $12 million Real-Time Crime Center to give officers tech-powered visibility into crime-prone areas, the recovery and tracing nearly 5,000 illegal guns, and the creation of the Drug Nuisance Abatement Team to hold neglectful property owners accountable for illegal dumping and blight.
“I’m honored to receive this recognition from Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, but this award belongs to everyone who is committed to making our city safer, from our police officers and first responders to neighborhood leaders, community organizations, and residents who choose courage over silence,” said Woodfin. “Public safety is a shared responsibility, and when people trust one another enough to speak up, work together, and invest in their neighborhoods, we build stronger, safer communities. While we’ve made meaningful progress, our work isn’t finished, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to protect the people who call Birmingham home.”
Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making Metro Alabama safer by serving as a bridge between law enforcement and the community. Crime Stoppers said it offers cash rewards for information that leads to the arrest of wanted individuals, and tipsters always remain 100 percent anonymous.
