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A recent death marks the 136th homicide in Birmingham this year, passing the total number of homicides in 2023 with more than a month remaining in the calendar year.
This surge in violent deaths contrasts sharply with last year’s slight reduction when Birmingham recorded 135 homicides, the first decrease in violent killings the city had seen in five years.
Birmingham’s homicide numbers have fluctuated over the years. The city ended 2022 with a total of 144 homicides, making it the deadliest year in recent memory and outpacing the previous record in recent history of 141 homicides in 1991.
The city’s current record for homicides occurred in 1933 when 148 homicides. While the city’s population in 1933 was just under 269,000, it had a homicide rate of 5.7 killings per 10,000 people, and Birmingham is on track to break this record by the end of the year.
By comparison, Birmingham’s population today has been dropping considerably. According to the 2020 Census, the city has about 196,644 residents, making it the fourth-largest city in Alabama, behind cities like Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile.
Since the beginning of 2024, the city’s homicide rate jumped to 7 per 10,000 residents, a troubling increase that highlights the ongoing challenges Birmingham faces in analyzing patterns in violent crime and its causes.
While Birmingham has seen some reductions in homicides in recent years, 2024’s rise in violence raises concerns about whether the city’s efforts to curb crime are proving effective. The homicide toll this year has just exceeded the previous year’s total, signaling a potential reversal of any progress made in reducing violent deaths.
Despite these hurdles, local officials and law enforcement remain committed to finding solutions to stem the tide of violence. As this year’s numbers show, there is still much work to be done to reverse the trend of rising homicides in one of Alabama’s largest cities.
