Birmingham Police increase federal prosecutions to combat violent crime

Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett has announced an increased collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime, illegal firearms, and serious offenses. This initiative is a component of Pickett’s 8-Point Crime Reduction Plan.

According to officials, the partnership has led to a significant rise in federal prosecutions. Previously, Birmingham averaged approximately 30 cases per year adopted for federal prosecution; that number has increased to roughly 70 annually. Since 2024, the collaboration has resulted in 165 federal indictments. Of these, 75 individuals have been sentenced, four have entered guilty pleas, and seven have pending sentences.

The targeted crimes include carjackings, robberies, federal drug offenses, and felons in possession of firearms, specifically focusing on machine gun conversion devices known as ‘switches’. The effort involves the Birmingham Police Department working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Secret Service.