Business Startups

JUST A BIT. BRITTANY BRYLEE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEW AT MIDDAY, BIRMINGHAM MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN HOSTING A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT JUST GOT OVER A FEW MINUTES AGO. OUR WVTM 13 ZOE BLAIR IS LIVE AND HAS MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE FROM DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. ZOE, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? YEAH, BRITTANY. THATS RIGHT. MAYOR WOODFIN JUST WRAPPED UP HIS PRESS CONFERENCE HERE AT CITY HALL. HE ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF A NEW CRIME FIGHTING COMMISSION THAT LOOKS TO BATTLE THE UPTICK IN HOMICIDES HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. WOODFIN SAYS THE 19 MEMBER COMMISSION WILL BE MADE UP OF LEADERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS BUSINESS OWNERS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE LEADERS. NOTABLE NAMES ON THE COMMISSION INCLUDE DISTRICT ATTORNEY DANNY CARR AND FRANK BARFIELD FROM CRIME STOPPERS OF METRO ALABAMA. IT WILL BE FUNDED PRIVATELY, NOT BY THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. THE FORMATION OF THIS COMMISSION COMES JUST THREE WEEKS AFTER THE FIVE POINT SOUTH MASS SHOOTING, A CASE IN WHICH THERE IS STILL NOBODY IN CUSTODY. NOW, THERE HAVE BEEN 130 HOMICIDES IN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM THIS YEAR ALONE. THE COMMISSION HOPES TO KEEP THAT NUMBER FROM GROWING IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. WOODFIN CITED MANY OF THOSE HOMICIDES AS THE REASON FOR STARTING THIS NEW COMMISSION. OUR RESOLVE IS VERY CLEAR TO ONE FIND SHOOTERS, FIND KILLERS AND GET THEM OFF OUR STREETS. BRING SOME FORM OF JUSTICE TO THESE FAMILIES WHO DESERVE IT. BUT THIS COMMISSION ALSO HAS A MANDATE TO FIND STUDY STEELE, BORROW, ASSESS BEST PRACTICES. NOW, LIKE YOU JUST HEARD WOODFIN SAY, THIS COMMISSION IS GOING TO LOOK AT STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL FOR OTHER CITIES THAT WERE BATTLING SIMILAR HOMICIDE ISSUES. THEYRE GOING TO PRESENT THEIR FIRST PRELIMINARY REPORT TO THE PUBLIC IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS. LI