Connor McDonald
Opinions Columnist
If you have lived or traveled throughout the Birmingham metro area, you’ve probably noticed how different life can be on either side of Red Mountain.
One of the more noticeable differences is police presence. In Birmingham, it’s pretty rare to see a police officer hanging out in their car waiting for speeders. In fact, it’s usually more common to hear the police rather than see them in Birmingham since they’re usually always on the move, sirens blaring. On the other hand, it’s very common to see police officers in communities “over the mountain” silently waiting for speeders to pass. In fact, the majority of the time that’s all you see them do. However, this issue goes beyond purely just writing tickets to enforce traffic laws.
Let’s take a look at their general appearance. Birmingham Police cars are mostly white with a text design that feels inviting and friendly. These contrast starkly with many OTM communities which are infamous for their large, black SUVs that barrel down roadways. In addition to their tough appearance, many engage in tactics and practices that feel downright intimidating. Often times, these police officers will form a pack and wait in the dark for a perpetrator to catch. I’ve even seen a group of Hoover Police officers on I-459 encircle a group of cars going less than 10 mph over the speed limit and successfully pull the entire group of cars over.
On the other hand, Birmingham Police are usually known for how relaxed they are toward things like speeding, jaywalking and other crimes that OTM police froth at the mouth to write citations for. In case you weren’t aware, Birmingham is one of the most dangerous cities in America, and our police officers have issues to deal with regularly that most OTM communities only see a few times a year. I’ve even asked a handful of Birmingham Police officers what they would do in certain situations like speeding 5-10 mph over the speed limit or jaywalking, and most said that usually they don’t care, so long as the person doing it isn’t being disruptive to others or reckless in general.
A big issue here has to do with revenue generation in these communities. Relying on police officers to generate their own revenue obviously creates a huge conflict of interest. Police are supposed to be our peace keepers. They’re supposed to let us feel safe. Often times, though, the opposite ends up being true. When police are incentivized to stop treating people as ends, and instead start treating them as means, real issues begin to surface. It’s not uncommon for people from lower income communities to feel as if they have a huge target on their back as soon as they cross municipal lines, and the fear of not being able to afford to pay a ticket tends to make this feeling worse.
In the end, these practices don’t serve any useful purpose besides giving police departments and cities more money to play around with. Profiting off people’s suffering is no way to run a peacekeeping force. It puts a divide between police and community members that sticks with them throughout their daily lives. The police should not ever make an innocent person feel afraid, and they especially should not be going out of their way to make people’s lives harder.
Connor McDonald can be reached at [email protected].
