About Birmingham Police Department

Situated in Jefferson County, Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, with a population of just over 200,000. It’s regarded as a “Deep South” city and sits close to the Appalachian mountains.

Birmingham was founded back in 1871, and has a reputation as a major industrial hub, largely due to the not-so-well-known fact that the city is the only place in the world where all three raw ingredients for steel (coal, limestone, and iron ore) occur naturally in one place.

These days, the city is better known as the largest banking and finance area in the USA, and also has a very large educational sector, with tens of collages and universities covering everything from law to dentistry.

Birmingham, like many other cities across the USA, is today enjoying something of a turn in fortunes, with downtown areas rejuvenated and dilapidated industrial zones gentrified and improved. There’s a lot of history and interesting architecture packed into the city of Birmingham, and to this day, it remains a wonderfully eclectic and laid back place to live, with an almost “Miniature New York” vibe all of its own.

In terms of policing, the Birmingham Police Department (BPD) was created in 1871, and operates across an area of 148.61 square miles across two counties. The force has over 960 sworn police officers in its ranks, along with a further 260 civilian support staff, under the command of Chief of Police Patrick D. Smith.

To pass Birmingham Police Department (BPD) test, applicants will have to show competence in a written and physical exam, as well as taking part in a structured oral assessment and polygraph test.

The Birmingham Police Academy curriculum includes approximately 920 hours of instruction and lasts around 22 weeks, involving intensive physical and academic preparation, with recruits studying criminal justice, human behavior, law, and criminal investigation.

Application forms for the Birmingham Police Department test can be found online.