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'Listen to what's going on:' Birmingham Police chief prepares to leave after 26 years and offers advice to interim
THIS WEEKEND, CHIEF SCOTT THURMOND CELEBRATED 26 YEARS WITH THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT IT’S A BITTERSWEET ANNIVERSARY, THAT’S FOR SURE. IT’S BECAUSE THURMOND IS LEAVING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. IN A STORY THAT YOU’RE SEEING FIRST HERE ON WVTM 13, MAGDALA LOUISSAINT SAT DOWN WITH CHIEF THURMOND FOR A ONE ON ONE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE JOB, ITS CHALLENGES, AND HIS REASON FOR LEAVING. SATURDAY WILL ACTUALLY BE 26 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR ME. OH, WOW. HOW DO YOU FEEL? IT’S GONE BY FAST. IT REALLY HAS. AFTER TWO YEARS AS CHIEF, SCOTT THURMOND IS LEAVING THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. I FEEL LIKE I’M LEAVING THE DEPARTMENT IN A VERY GOOD DIRECTION MOVING FORWARD. AT THE END OF 2021, MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN CALLED ON THURMOND TO REPLACE PATRICK SMITH, WHO SUDDENLY LEFT. I SPOKE WITH THURMOND BACK THEN, RIGHT AFTER OFFICIALLY STARTING. DID YOU EVER SEE YOURSELF WANTING THIS KIND OF POSITION? NO, NOT AT ALL. I’M JUST NOT SOMEONE OF TO BE IN THE LIMELIGHT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THAT LIMELIGHT WOULD COME WITH SOME TOUGH CRITICISM FROM BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT. CONCERNS ABOUT HOMICIDES, CRIME AND THE CITY IS DOWN ABOUT OVERALL 10.5% AS OF TODAY. THE ONE CATEGORY THAT WE’RE UP IN IS THE HOMICIDES, OF COURSE, BEHIND THE SCENES, THURMOND TELLS ME HE DID NOT HAVE AN EASY START. THERE WAS NOT THAT TRANSITION. THERE WAS ZERO TRANSMISSION FROM SMITH TO YOU. I WALKED INTO AN EMPTY OFFICE WITH NOTHING IN THERE. I DIDN’T HAVE ANYBODY TO TALK TO AND JUST HAD TO FIGURE IT OUT. WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES THAT CAME WITH THAT, AND HOW DID YOU TACKLE IT? YOU KNOW, IT’S DIFFICULT. YOU JUST I MEAN, EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN AT THE DEPARTMENT FOR YEARS, I HAD NEVER BEEN IN THIS ROLE. THERE’S NO THERE’S NO TRAINING TO BE THE CHIEF. THERE’S NOT REALLY ANYBODY YOU COULD TALK TO. I MEAN, THERE’S OTHER CHIEFS IN OUR AREA TO TALK TO, BUT THEY’VE NEVER BEEN THE CHIEF OF A DEPARTMENT OF THIS SIZE. IN OCTOBER, THE CITY SAID IT HAD 851 SWORN OFFICERS AND 223 VACANCIES. STAFFING ISSUES REALLY HAVEN’T CHANGED. THAT MUCH. I MEAN, WE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY SHORT WHEN I CAME INTO THE ROLE. WE’RE PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT SAME LEVEL NOW. THURMOND SAYS NOT HAVING ENOUGH OFFICERS IMPACTS MORALE. JUST LAST MONTH, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A NEARLY $16 MILLION POLICE RECRUITMENT PLAN. IT INCLUDES $10,000 SIGNING BONUSES FOR NEW OFFICERS, A $2,500 BONUS FOR OFFICERS THERE TWO OR MORE YEARS. AND THURMOND SAYS SOON OFFICERS WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR PATROL CARS HOME. THAT’S A RECRUITMENT WIN. THAT’S A RETENTION WIN. THAT’S A CRIME FIGHTING WIN. NOW YOU HAVE A LOT MORE VISIBILITY ACROSS OUR CITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS. WHEN OFFICERS ARE WORKING OFF DUTY JOBS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. IN THE LONG TERM, THAT WILL BE A COST SAVINGS FOR THE CITY BECAUSE CARS WILL LAST LONGER, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT DRIVEN AS OFTEN. YOU KNOW, AND JUST KNOWING THAT IN A YEAR THERE’S GOING TO BE 100 TO 150 MORE POLICE OFFICERS. SO MY WORKLOAD AS AN OFFICER IS GOING TO GO DOWN. I’M GOING TO HAVE MORE TIME. THIS IS A DECISION YOU’RE MAKING ON YOUR OWN. NO ONE’S PUSHING YOU OUT. NO, I MEAN, THE MAYOR AND I HAVE A FANTASTIC RELATIONSHIP. HE WAS SHOCKED THAT I WAS LEAVING AS WELL. BUT LIKE I SAID, THIS WAS JUST A DECISION THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE TO TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND JUST JUST SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT. THURMOND, THE FATHER OF TWO SONS, 14 AND 20, CREDITS HIS WIFE FOR HER SUPPORT AND PATIENCE. SHE SAYS, I FEEL LIKE A SINGLE PARENT BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU’RE AT WORK DURING THE DAY AND THEN YOU’RE OUT ALL NIGHT AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST DIFFICULT. HE NOW PASSES THE CHALLENGE TO INTERIM CHIEF MICHAEL PICKETT. THURMOND IS WORKING WITH HIM EVERY DAY TO TRANSITION INTO THE ROLE, AND HE BELIEVES HE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. HE’S GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING FOR HIM THAT THAT I DIDN’T HAVE GOING THAT ARE NOW IN PLACE FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND SO, YEAH, I THINK THAT’S GOING TO MAKE IT VERY HELPFUL FOR HIM. THURMOND HAS SOME ADVICE FOR INTERIM CHIEF PICKETT. LISTEN TO WHAT’S GOING ON. MAKE SURE YOU’RE TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING. IT’S JUST A LOT TO MANAGE FOR A CITY THIS SIZE AND A DEPARTMENT THIS SIZE. THURMOND SAYS HE’S NOT RETIRING. HE’S TAKING A NEW JOB, PLANS ON WHERE HE’S GOING WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER THIS MONTH. I ASKED HIM IF HE COULD PINPOINT JUST ONE CASE HE’D LIKE TO SEE SOLVED. HE SAID ONE DEAR TO HIM WAS THE TRAGIC DEATH OF BIRMINGHAM POLICE OFFICER JOSEPH JEROME DANIELS. THEY WORKED TOGETHER IN 2002. DANIELS WAS OFF DUTY PICKING UP FOOD WHEN HE TRIED TO STOP A ROBBERY. THE SUSPECT SHOT HIM IN THE CHEST. SOMEONE WAS ARRESTED IN 2012, BUT CHARGES WERE DISMISSED BECAUSE OF LACK OF EVIDENCE. AND THAT CASE STILL UNSOLVED.
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'Listen to what's going on:' Birmingham Police chief prepares to leave after 26 years and offers advice to interim
This weekend, Chief Scott Thurmond celebrated 26 years with the Birmingham Police Department. It's a bittersweet anniversary. Thurmond is leaving at the end of this month. Only on WVTM 13 Thurmond sits with Magdala Louissaint for a one-on-one conversation about the job, its challenges, and his reason for leaving.After two years as Chief Scott Thurmond is leaving the Birmingham Police Department.“I feel like I’m leaving the department in a very good direction moving forward,” Thurmond said.At the end of 2021, Mayor Randall Woodfin called on Thurmond to replace Patrick Smith who suddenly left. I spoke with Thurmond back then right after officially starting.In the 2022 interview clip, Magdala asked, “did you ever see yourself wanting this kind of position?” Thurmond replied, “Not at all. I’m just someone who doesn’t like to be in the limelight.”Over the next two years that limelight would come with some tough criticism from both inside and outside the department, concerns about homicide."Crime in the city is down about 10.5 percent as of today. We're up in homicides of course,” Thurmond said.Behind the scenes Thurmond tells me he did not have an easy start.Magdala asked, “There was no transition?" Thurmond, “Zero transition,” Magdala, “From Smith to you?” Thurmond said, “There was no transition. I walked into an empty office. I didn’t have anybody to talk to just had to figure it out.” Thurmond said.Magdala asked Thurmond, “what were the challenges that came with that, and how did you tackle it?” He replied, “You know, it's difficult. Even though I've been in the department for years, I've never been in this role. There's no training to be the chief. There's not really anybody that could talk to me. And there's other chiefs in our area to talk to, but they've never been the chief of a department of this size.”In October, the city said it had 851 sworn officers and 223 vacancies. “Staffing issues haven’t really changed that much. We were significantly short when I came into the role. We’re at the same level now,” Thurmond said.Thurmond says not having enough officers’ impacts morale. Just last month, the city council approved a nearly $16 million police recruitment plan. It includes $10,000 signing bonuses for new officers. A $2,500 bonus for officers there 2 or more years. And Thurmond says soon officers will be able to take their patrol cars home. “That’s a recruitment win. That’s a crime fighting win. Now you have more visibility across out our city, neighborhoods, in our entertainment districts. When officers are working off duty jobs and things of that nature,” Thurmond said, “In the long term, that will be a cost savings for the city, because cars will last longer, because they're not driven in as often. You know and just knowing that in a year there's going to be 100 to 150 more police officers. So the workload as an officer is going to go down. I'm going to have more time.”Magdala asked Thurmond, “This is a decision you’re making on your own? You’re not being pushed out?” Thurmond says, “The mayor and I have a fantastic relationship. He was shocked that I was leaving as well. This is just a decision that I needed to make to spend more time with my family and just slow down a little bit.” Thurmond, the father of two sons, 14 and 20, credits his wife for her support and patience.“She says, I feel like a single parent because you're not here because, you know, you're working in a day and then you're out all night and, you know, it's just difficult," Thurmond said.He now passes the challenge to interim chief Michael Pickett. Thurmond is working with him every day to transition into the role and believes he can be successful.“He's got a lot of things going for him that, that I didn't have going that are now in place for the department. And so yeah, I think it's going to make it, very helpful for him,” Thurmond said.Thurmond has some advice for interim chief Pickett, “Listen to what's going on and make sure you're taking care of everything. It's just a lot to manage for a city this size and a department this size.”Thurmond says he’s not retiring. He's taking a new job. An announcement about where he's going will be released later this month. We asked him if he could pinpoint just one case he'd like to see solved. He said one dear to him was the tragic death of Birmingham police officer Joseph Jerome Daniels. They worked together. In 2002, Daniels was off duty picking up food when he tried to stop a robbery. The suspect shot him in the chest. Someone was arrested in 2012, but charges were dismissed because of lack of evidence. That case is still unsolved.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
This weekend, Chief Scott Thurmond celebrated 26 years with the Birmingham Police Department. It's a bittersweet anniversary. Thurmond is leaving at the end of this month. Only on WVTM 13 Thurmond sits with Magdala Louissaint for a one-on-one conversation about the job, its challenges, and his reason for leaving.
After two years as Chief Scott Thurmond is leaving the Birmingham Police Department.
“I feel like I’m leaving the department in a very good direction moving forward,” Thurmond said.
At the end of 2021, Mayor Randall Woodfin called on Thurmond to replace Patrick Smith who suddenly left. I spoke with Thurmond back then right after officially starting.
In the 2022 interview clip, Magdala asked, “did you ever see yourself wanting this kind of position?” Thurmond replied, “Not at all. I’m just someone who doesn’t like to be in the limelight.”
Over the next two years that limelight would come with some tough criticism from both inside and outside the department, concerns about homicide.
"Crime in the city is down about 10.5 percent as of today. We're up in homicides of course,” Thurmond said.
Behind the scenes Thurmond tells me he did not have an easy start.
Magdala asked, “There was no transition?" Thurmond, “Zero transition,” Magdala, “From Smith to you?” Thurmond said, “There was no transition. I walked into an empty office. I didn’t have anybody to talk to just had to figure it out.” Thurmond said.
Magdala asked Thurmond, “what were the challenges that came with that, and how did you tackle it?” He replied, “You know, it's difficult. Even though I've been in the department for years, I've never been in this role. There's no training to be the chief. There's not really anybody that could talk to me. And there's other chiefs in our area to talk to, but they've never been the chief of a department of this size.”
In October, the city said it had 851 sworn officers and 223 vacancies.
“Staffing issues haven’t really changed that much. We were significantly short when I came into the role. We’re at the same level now,” Thurmond said.
Thurmond says not having enough officers’ impacts morale. Just last month, the city council approved a nearly $16 million police recruitment plan. It includes $10,000 signing bonuses for new officers. A $2,500 bonus for officers there 2 or more years. And Thurmond says soon officers will be able to take their patrol cars home.
“That’s a recruitment win. That’s a crime fighting win. Now you have more visibility across out our city, neighborhoods, in our entertainment districts. When officers are working off duty jobs and things of that nature,” Thurmond said, “In the long term, that will be a cost savings for the city, because cars will last longer, because they're not driven in as often. You know and just knowing that in a year there's going to be 100 to 150 more police officers. So the workload as an officer is going to go down. I'm going to have more time.”
Magdala asked Thurmond, “This is a decision you’re making on your own? You’re not being pushed out?” Thurmond says, “The mayor and I have a fantastic relationship. He was shocked that I was leaving as well. This is just a decision that I needed to make to spend more time with my family and just slow down a little bit.”
Thurmond, the father of two sons, 14 and 20, credits his wife for her support and patience.
“She says, I feel like a single parent because you're not here because, you know, you're working in a day and then you're out all night and, you know, it's just difficult," Thurmond said.
He now passes the challenge to interim chief Michael Pickett. Thurmond is working with him every day to transition into the role and believes he can be successful.
“He's got a lot of things going for him that, that I didn't have going that are now in place for the department. And so yeah, I think it's going to make it, very helpful for him,” Thurmond said.
Thurmond has some advice for interim chief Pickett, “Listen to what's going on and make sure you're taking care of everything. It's just a lot to manage for a city this size and a department this size.”
Thurmond says he’s not retiring. He's taking a new job. An announcement about where he's going will be released later this month. We asked him if he could pinpoint just one case he'd like to see solved. He said one dear to him was the tragic death of Birmingham police officer Joseph Jerome Daniels. They worked together. In 2002, Daniels was off duty picking up food when he tried to stop a robbery. The suspect shot him in the chest. Someone was arrested in 2012, but charges were dismissed because of lack of evidence. That case is still unsolved.
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