The Birmingham Police Department’s two newest deputy chiefs were officially sworn in Friday.
The two veteran officers are tasked with crucial roles as the department battles a shortage of officers and a spate of homicides in the city.
Deputy Chief Rodarius Mauldin oversees the department’s Administrative Bureau and will execute Mayor Woodfin’s $15.8 million plan to recruit and retain police. He was named to the position in June.
Deputy Chief Jeffrey Brown heads the Investigative Bureau and has been leading the investigation into the mass shooting outside of Hush lounge nearly three weeks ago, as well as other violent crimes. He was appointed in July.
“I’m very impressed by how they have adapted to their new roles while drinking from the firehose,’’ Police Chief Scott Thurmond said.
“Deputy Chief Brown has taken on the Investigative Bureau and unfortunately we had a mass shooting that occurred in our city almost three weeks ago and he has been leading that investigation, so you talk about drinking from a firehouse, I think he’s been drinking from two or three,’’ the chief said.
“Deputy Chief Mauldin has done just the same,’’ Thurmond said. “Now that recruiting and retention is at the forefront, he’s now tasked with leading that effort.
“Both have become an invaluable addition to our leadership.”
Birmingham Municipal Judge Andra Sparks delivered the oath of office to Brown and Mauldin Friday at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The wives of Mauldin and Brown pinned their new badges on their uniforms.
“The administration has chosen you to be the standard,’’ Sparks said. “As you assume the full responsibilities of this position, your obligation to your community, to the state, and to the nation will increase accordingly.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin thanked both men for their service, as well as their families for allowing them to serve.
“These two men have been on the ground working hard,’’ the mayor said.
Woodfin shared this quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “As leaders we can get marred by how heavy the work can be sometimes and then come home to wives, and children and other family members.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
“I submit to you, hold on to those words as you embark on your leadership journey,’’ Woodfin said. “You have a tall task. We’re grateful for you stepping up to the plate. I got your back and your front.”
Thurmond said Brown and Mauldin have a combined experience of 51 years.
“I’ve watched both of them as they entered into these new roles and have already seen their commitment, dedication and drive to perform at a very high level,’’ Thurmond said.
Mauldin began his law enforcement career in 2005 with the Alabama Board of Pardons and Parole. He joined the Birmingham Police Department in 2010 and worked his way up through the ranks. He also previously served as the department’s public information officer.
His swearing in comes as the Birmingham City Council this week approved Woodfin’s $15.8 million plan to recruit and retain police officers.
The police department has 223 vacancies for all sworn personnel, including 172 patrol officer positions, 34 officers in administrative, operations and investigative bureaus and 17 additional vacancies of sergeants, lieutenants and captains.
“Now it’s time to give the city a return on their investment,’’ Mauldin said. “We’ve been working on this plan for a while. We’re just happy we can move forward.”
“One thing we looked at was how can we make an impact with the officers as well as how it affects the community,’’ he said. “Most importantly we’re going to lead with community first when we get ready to make any decisions and we think by putting this in place and putting more officers on the street, we’re definitely headed in the right direction.”
Brown was a 22-year veteran of the FBI, most recently serving as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham Field Office.
He began his FBI career in St. Louis, and later served as a supervisory special agent in Detroit, a unit chief with Counterterrorism Division in D.C., the Violent Crimes Task Force Coordinator in Michigan and the Senior Special Agent in Charge in Guantanamo Bay.
“I’m very honored to be a member of the Birmingham Police Department, honored to serve,’’ Brown said.
“Obviously the priority now is reducing violent crime in the city and lucky for us we have phenomenal working relationships with our local state and federal partners which are helping us with the investigations we have ongoing which will be pivotal,’’ he said.
“We’ll be building on what’s already here,’’ Brown said. “We have talented investigators, and just bringing different tools to the toolbox will help us get that much better.”
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