Mayor Randall L. Woodfin told the Birmingham City Council on April 22 that the city is continuing multiple recruitment classes for the Birmingham Police Department and promoting several sustainability and community events tied to Earth Day.

Woodfin said the Birmingham Police Department has opened recruitment for an upcoming academy class and is offering a $10,000 signing bonus for new officers who complete training and join the force. He listed physical-agility screening dates for prospective applicants: April 26 and May 3 at the Birmingham CrossPlex, with additional screening dates on May 17 and June 7. For more information about recruitment, Woodfin provided a contact number: (205) 254-1712.

The mayor reported class and staffing numbers in summary: he said a 50-person class started April 7 and will graduate in July, the November 2024 class is scheduled to graduate around May 2, and he described a combination of recent hires and laterals leading to "a total of 98 sworn officers" (figures as presented by the mayor). The council did not record a separate personnel action in the meeting record tied to those numbers; they were provided as part of the mayor’s report.

On sustainability, Woodfin said the Office of Resilient Sustainability is leading work on a Central Alabama Climate Action Plan, a city Sustainability Plan, a food-systems project, an e-bike pilot program and other efforts. He encouraged residents to visit bhamsustainabilityplan.com for more information.

Woodfin also promoted several public events: a city budget town hall on April 23 at the Boutwell Auditorium (1930 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard; doors at 5:30 p.m.; event at 6 p.m.); Trails Day events on April 26 at Pepper Place from 7 a.m. to noon; an evening with Poet Laureate Salem Green on April 29 at the Birmingham Public Library Central at 5:30 p.m.; and a Foot Soldiers reenactment march May 9 beginning at 9 a.m. at Kelly Ingram Park and ending at the Boutwell Auditorium (organizers asked participating students to bring lunches and provided contact info at info@cracfs.org).

Woodfin also noted a city "walk at lunch" event on April 23 and public-health and recruitment items connected to city wellness programming. The items in the mayor’s remarks were informational; no formal council action was taken on the recruitment or sustainability items during the meeting.