Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday unveiled the city’s new Birmingham Violence Reduction Strategic Plan, a five-year plan aimed at reducing gun violence, strengthening community safety and addressing underlying conditions that contribute to cycles of violence.
The city’s Office of Community Safety Initiatives, or CSI, will oversee the plan, which calls for city officials, community organizations, businesses, residents and other partners to collaborate with the goal of reducing homicides and nonfatal shootings by 10 percent annually through July 2031.
“Birmingham has always been my home, and that deep connection drives my vision of a city where opportunity is not confined to one ZIP code and every resident has the chance to achieve their dreams,” Woodfin said. “For far too long, violence has limited that opportunity. This work is deeply personal to me and my family, and I know it is personal to countless families across our city. This strategic plan recognizes that lasting safety requires urgency, honesty, intervention and sustained investment in our people and communities.”
Woodfin established CSI in April 2024 to use data-driven crime reduction strategies to improve public safety in Birmingham. Director Uche Bean currently leads the office.
CSI developed the five-year plan with guidance from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and input from strategic planning sessions, public meetings, neighborhood engagement, surveys and feedback from community partners and city agencies.
“This plan represents a commitment to move beyond fragmented responses and toward a coordinated, citywide strategy for safety,” Bean said. “We know there is no single solution to violence. It requires immediate intervention for those at greatest risk, prevention for young people and families, and long-term investments that transform the conditions in which violence takes root. Most importantly, this work requires all of us.”
According to city officials, the plan centers on four interconnected pillars:
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Supporting safety and wellness by strengthening the city’s ability to respond to gun violence, domestic violence and drug overdoses.
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Engaging and empowering the community by expanding community education, seeking resident input and supporting community-based organizations and services for victims.
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Strengthening policy and oversight through data-driven policing, maintaining police staffing, advancing trauma-informed strategies and partnering with federal, state and local agencies.
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Increasing youth safety by providing conflict resolution skills, life coaching and mentorship; engaging caregivers; evolving youth justice approaches; and increasing gun safety education.
Together, the pillars are intended to address violent crime through near-term intervention, long-term prevention and generational investment strategies. As the plan takes effect, CSI will issue annual progress reports measuring its performance in each area.
Woodfin and other city officials also plan to build on existing violence reduction programs, including CSI’s Immediate Response Action Plan, the RESTORE program for high-risk youth and the Birmingham Police Department’s 8-Point Crime Reduction Plan.
In a news release announcing the plan, city officials said “sustained collaboration among City and County agencies, law enforcement, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, faith leaders, businesses and residents” will be necessary to successfully implement the plan and improve community safety across Birmingham.
Birmingham has seen a 50 percent year-over-year reduction in homicides since Woodfin was first elected in 2017. Earlier this year, Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama named Woodfin its 2026 Crime Stopper of the Year.
