While there were no major jumps in any crime category from 2021 to 2022, there was one area of significant decrease amid an overall steady crime rate in Vestavia Hills.
The number of fraud cases decreased from 230 in 2021 to 122 in 2022. Theft decreased from 202 cases to 193, with thefts from vehicles decreasing from 49 cases to 32 and theft of vehicles decreasing from 33 to 23 cases, according to statistics provided by the Vestavia Hills Police Department.
“In 2021, a record number of fraudulent unemployment claims were made across the country during the COVID pandemic,” said Capt. Shane Ware. “The Vestavia Hills Police Department anticipated this statistic to reduce in 2022 and it did.”
Ware said reducing the number of thefts from vehicles is a result of “proactive policing,” which has also caused two categories to increase: drug and weapons-related offenses. Drug offenses increased from 846 in 2021 to 861 in 2022, while weapons-related offenses had a slight increase from 115 cases to 122.
For the first time in several years, there was a murder in the city last year when a gunman opened fire inside the parish hall at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, killing three people.
“The Saint Stephen’s shooting is one of the most tragic cases in the history of the Vestavia Hills Police Department,” Ware said. “What we have learned from this event is that no community is immune to violence and that our officers must be prepared to do what is necessary when a violent act occurs.”
There were decreases in assaults, from 155 cases in 2021 to 114 cases in 2022. There was one case of arson last year, up from zero in 2021, with burglary staying nearly the same, from 31 cases in 2021 to 32 in 2022. Robbery stayed the same at three cases, while vandalism increased from 33 cases in 2021 to 42 cases last year.
The department has benefited from Flock camera license plate readers, which helped solve the November 2022 shooting incident at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, along with a road rage incident on I-65, the police department said.
The department is currently fully staffed at 108 officers and will complete the project of assigning each patrol officer a car to take home during this calendar year, which was a help during the shooting at Saint Stephen’s. The addition of two new officers in Liberty Park has helped increase the departments’ presence and visibility in the area, the department said.
Ware said the department works to maintain a “high level of officer presence in our neighborhoods, business districts and on our roadways.”
“We strive to maintain quick response times and accurate reporting for both routine and 911 emergency calls for service,” Ware said. “We offer our officers the most current situational, mental health and de-escalation training available. We are continuously evaluating current law enforcement training, statistics, trends and laws in order to effect positive changes that will better serve our community.”
Fire Department
In the Vestavia Hills Fire Department, there was a slight increase in the number of calls, moving from 5,280 in 2021 to 5,662 in 2022, according to data provided by the Vestavia Hills Fire Department.
Most of those calls, about 60%, were medical calls, according to statistics, about the same as 2021. The 2,155 calls listed as “other” include lift assists, assisting other agencies, investigating odors, weather-related calls and more, Fire Chief Marvin Green said.
The number of fire-related calls increased from 81 calls in 2021 to 99 in 2022. Those calls can include structure fires, car fires and more, Green said.
The largest number of calls continues to be to senior living facilities, Green said. The population in those facilities makes up about 2.4% of the city’s population but accounts for 23% of the department’s call volume, he said.
This past year, a position was added to the department’s fire administration to assist in managing and tracking equipment, Green said. The position, held by Lt. Stephen Michael, also oversees vehicle maintenance, Green said. New equipment for vehicle extrication has been purchased thanks to donations from the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club, he said.
“These battery-powered combination tools are easier to maintain, quicker to deploy and perform multiple tasks,” Green said.
The department was also awarded a “Regional Training Center” designation, which allows for more training opportunities for the department, Green said, as well as the region.
“Having more classes locally not only saves money for the department and the city, it also allows the department to instruct our own personnel,” he said.
