Editing Birmingham, Alabama (section)

==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Birmingham, Alabama}}
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center;"
|+Current city council membership<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.informationbirmingham.com/citycouncil/ |title=Birmingham City Council |publisher=City of Birmingham |access-date=May 26, 2014 |archive-date=March 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318210621/http://www.informationbirmingham.com/citycouncil/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! District !! Representative !! Position
|-
|1||Clinton Woods||
|-
|2||Hunter Williams||
|-
|3||Valerie Abbott||
|-
|4||J. T. Moore||
|-
|5||Darrell O'Quinn||
|-
|6||Crystal Smitherman||President Pro-Tem
|-
|7||Wardine Alexander||President
|-
|8||Carol Clarke||
|-
|9||LaTonya Tate||
|}

Birmingham has a strong-mayor variant [[mayor-council government|mayor-council]] form of government, led by a mayor and a nine-member city council. The current system replaced the previous [[city commission government]] in 1962 (primarily as a way to remove Commissioner of Public Safety [[Bull Connor|Eugene "Bull" Connor]] from power).<ref>Nunnelley, William A. (1991) ''Bull Connor''. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-0495-9</ref>

By Alabama law, an issue before a city council must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote (Act No. 452, Ala. Acts 1955, as supplemented by Act No. 294, Ala. Acts 1965). Executive powers are held entirely by the Mayor's Office. Birmingham's current mayor is Randall Woodfin. Mayor Bell, who previously served as interim Mayor in 1999, won a special election on January 19, 2010, to fill the unexpired term of former Mayor [[Larry Langford]]. Langford was removed from office after being convicted of federal corruption charges on October 28, 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/10/langford_elected_mayor.html |title=Langford elected mayor |work=[[The Birmingham News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/11/roderick_royal_elected_birming.html |title=Roderick Royal elected Birmingham Council president, and will serve as interim mayor |work=[[The Birmingham News]] |last=Bryant |first=Joseph D. |date=November 24, 2009}}</ref>

In 1974, Birmingham established a structured network of neighborhood associations and community advisory committees to insure public participation in governmental issues that affect neighborhoods. Neighborhood associations are routinely consulted on matters related to zoning changes, liquor licenses, economic development, policing and other city services. Neighborhoods are also granted discretionary funds from the city's budget to use for capital improvements. Each neighborhood's officers meet with their peers to form Community Advisory Committees which are granted broader powers over city departments. The presidents of these committees, in turn, form the Citizen's Advisory Board, which meets regularly with the mayor, council, and department heads. Birmingham is divided into a total of 23 communities, and again into a total of 99 individual neighborhoods with individual neighborhood associations.<ref>Thomson, Ken (1988) "[http://www.cpn.org/topics/community/birmingham.html Birmingham Participation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505101342/http://www.cpn.org/topics/community/birmingham.html |date=May 5, 2009 }}". Citizen Participation Project at the Lincoln Filene Center at [[Tufts University]]. CPN.org&nbsp;– Retrieved May 5, 2009</ref>

===State and federal representation===
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates post offices in Birmingham. The main post office is located at 351 24th Street North in Downtown Birmingham.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/42463?p=1&s=AL&service_name=post_office&z=Birmingham Post Office Location&nbsp;– Birmingham.]" ''United States Postal Service''. Retrieved May 4, 2009.</ref> Birmingham is also the home of the Social Security Administration's Southeastern Program Service Center. This center is one of only seven in the United States that process Social Security entitlement claims and payments. In addition, Birmingham is the home of a branch bank of the Atlanta [[Federal Reserve Bank]].

===Crime===
Birmingham has a crime rate significantly above the national average.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.areavibes.com/birmingham-al/crime/ | title=Birmingham, AL Crime Rates: Stats & Map }}</ref> Increasing gang violence and activity have been noted for the spike in crime around the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=000EAzaGd8Q | title=Birmingham activist calls for greater discussion about gang violence | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> In 2022, Birmingham set a modern record with 144 homicides.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/a-tragic-year-for-the-magic-city-birminghams-historic-2022-homicide-toll-by-the-numbers.html | title=A tragic year for the Magic City: Birmingham's historic 2022 homicide toll, by the numbers | date=January 2023 }}</ref> According to a 2023 study, Birmingham leads the nation's largest cities with the highest cost of crime per capita at $11,392. Its violent crime rate – which includes instances of murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – was 1,682 per 100,000 residents. Its property crime rate – which includes burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft – was notably higher at 4,173 per 100,000 residents.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbs42.com/news/birmingham-among-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-us-study-finds/ | title=Birmingham among most dangerous cities in the US, study finds | date=December 22, 2023 }}</ref> Also in 2023, ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked Birmingham the 2nd most dangerous city in the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/?sh=28ec01eb309a | title=Report Ranks America's 15 Safest (And Most Dangerous) Cities for 2023 | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> In October 2024, Mayor Woodfin established the Birmingham Crime Commission to better redress the escalating crime crises in the city.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.birminghamal.gov/news/mayor-woodfin-shares-birmingham-crime-commission-report-address-gun-violence |title=Mayor Woodfin shares Birmingham Crime Commission report to address gun violence |publisher=City of Birmingham |date=January 6, 2025 |access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref> In 2024, Birmingham set a new all-time high murder record with 151 murders in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36LCIcIWRw4 |title=Birmingham breaks 91 year old homicide record with 151 homicides in 2024. #birmingham |via=YouTube |work=AL.com |date=January 1, 2025 |access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref>

The downtown district is patrolled by City Action Partnership (CAP), formed in 1995 to increase public perception of safety.