Mission

Our mission is to "Keep your Neighborhood and your Community Safe." Sheriff Mike Hale

Sheriff's Office Overview

The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. His primary duty is to give full police protection to the unincorporated areas of the county; however, he maintains full police jurisdiction in all cities and townships within the county. Enforcement includes criminal investigations and the investigation of all types of accidents, including traffic and air. The chief function of the Sheriff, however, is the service of legal processes of the courts. Also under the Sheriff’s responsibility is the operating and maintaining of the county jails. All these services have to be provided seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

For one to understand the history of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, there should be an understanding of what the duties of the Sheriff of a county are as set forth by the laws of the State of Alabama.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the Jefferson County Corrections Center are housed in the Mel Bailey Criminal Justice Building on the corner of Eigth Avenue and Twenty First Street in the City of Birmingham. Sub-stations are located in the strategic areas of the county, including Sylvan Springs. The Sheriff's Headquarters Building is also located neargby on Eighth Avenue. The Sheriff's Office has a second County Seat located in Bessemer, Alabama, which has its own Correction Center and substations. Bessemer is twelve miles west of Birminhgam. Jefferson County sheriff, Mike Hale, maintains an office in both County Seats.

Patrol is the backbone of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Patrol performs a variety of functions for the protection and service of the citizens of Jefferson County, and is responsible for the enforcement of all state and federal laws involving criminal offenses. It also performs many service functions ranging from investigating traffic accidents to numerous types of public assist requests from citizens.

Patrol is decentralized in order to better respond quickly and effectively to all calls. In this regard, the divisions are divided primarily between Birmingham, which has 89 personnel (rank of deputy) and Bessemer with 38. Besides the main Headquarters Building in Birmingham and Headquarters in Bessemer, Patrol also maintains substations in Center Point, Forestdale, Cahaba Heights, Mt. Olive and Oak Grove in order to have deputies stationed as close as possible to their primary patrol areas.

Criminal Investigations is the primary investigations arm of the Sheriff’s Office. Personnel assigned to Criminal Investigations utilize traditional investigative skills as well as advanced technical procedures to conduct many types of criminal investigations. Detectives are assigned specific cases and attempt to identify, apprehend and assist in the prosecution of individuals committing crimes in Jefferson County. Detectives are responsible for investigating thousands of cases. These include murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, arson and child abuse.

Support Services Division is composed of Fiscal Management and Planning, Property, and Communications.

The School Resource Division provides law enforcement services to Jefferson County schools and the communities those schools serve. There are 50 schools in the Jefferson County School System. Deputies in this division develop communication with students through presentation of Drug Abuse Resistance Education curricula, Gang Resistance Education curricula, and other law related instructional courses.

The Academy and Training Bureau consists of the Sheriff’s Academy and the firearms range. The Academy is the only Sheriff’s Academy in the state. And, as such, includes additional training required for deputy sheriffs in the fields of civil process and corrections. The firearms range conducts two qualification classes per year, as well as several other instructional courses provided to personnel.

Court Services Division is responsible for civil processes and security of all county courts. Personnel in this division serve subpoenas, summonses and arrest warrants.

Jefferson County Corrections Division includes the Birmingham County Jail and the Bessemer County Jail. More than 15,000 people are committed to the jails annually. More than 2,000 are sent to penitentiaries annually. The average daily inmate count for both jails increases yearly and is currently over 900 inmates per day.

The Sheriff’s Office also consists of many specialized units; Motor Scouts, Bomb Squad, Civil Disturbance Detail, Canine Unit, Crisis Negotiation Team, Animal Cruelty Specialists, Truck Weighing Unit, Honor Guard, and S.WA.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics).

The Sheriffs Reserve Deputies volunteer service to the citizens of Jefferson County providing security at major public events, patrol coverage on weekends and high activity times and they also transport prisoners. The Reserve Deputies enhance the effectiveness of the department.