Deadly violence in the city of Birmingham is partially the fault of citizens who refuse to cooperate with police, Mayor Randall Woodfin said.

Woodfin, in an extended interview on the Urbanham News podcast, spent much of his time talking about crime in the city and his frustration with citizens’ inaction when it comes to reporting what they know.

“Citizens in our community give safe harbor to shooters and killers,” Woodfin told Urbanham host Iva Williams. “BPD officers were not on the scene when that crime happened.”

“Something has happened in America, not just Birmingham, but everyday community members who have the information are not coming forward.”

Going over the city’s crime statistics, Woodfin noted that overall major crime is down except for homicides and burglaries.

In all of Jefferson County, there have been 98 homicides including the 75 in Birmingham.

“Perception is important, and when people hear gunshots too often, people don’t feel safe,” Woodfin said. “I don’t like where we are at all, and I give the city, not just me, the city a bad grade on gun violence, but overall crime collectively, rapes, assaults and thefts, all that stuff is down.”

He suggested raising the price bail for some people. He said the city would request higher bonds for offenders who reoffend.

“The criminal justice system on a continuum has got to work for everybody,” he said. “We’re actually arresting, (but) people are just getting released after they are arrested.”

While he takes responsibility for public safety, the mayor also called on the community to share in its own well-being by assisting police.

Woodfin said the city established an $80,000 reward fund as an incentive for people to provide information on shootings that injure or kill young people.

Still, he lamented the need for such an enticement.

“Nobody should give safe harbor to men or women who shoot guns and hurt or kill children,” he said. “I should not have to dangle money in front of you to come forward with credible information to take a shooter off the street because they hurt a child.”

“Where’s the community’s gumption on ‘no women or children, or seniors?’” he asked.

For example, Woodfin cited the case of Michael Phillip Coleman. The 62-year-old man was shot to death near his east Birmingham home in May.

Coleman, who was confined to a wheelchair due to ALS, often sat under the shade tree where he was fatally shot.

Woodfin said Coleman was with a group of men under the tree when another group of young men began shooting and the other group retaliated.

“They were able to run. They didn’t shield Mr. Coleman. They didn’t try to get him to cover. The worst part is they know who did the shooting and won’t even come forward,” Woodfin said.

“Again, I dangle money to get people to come forward to do the right thing.”

Urbanham podcast host Iva Williams called the interview wide-ranging and unedited.

“You see a full conversation with the mayor, and I hope people just glean from it whatever they may,” he told AL.com

“Urbanham is about amplifying voices and providing in-depth conversations on timely issues with the politicians that should have something to say about it.”

Woodfin said he is pro second amendment, but that too many guns are currently on the street and they pack too much fire power for legitimate reasons.

And while he continued to stress individual responsibility, Woodin announced on Urbanham News a pilot project to reduce entrances and exits in some neighborhoods.

“I want our seniors, I want our parents to feel comfortable for their children to play safely in their front yards,” he said. “We are going to decrease your ability to just drive in, shoot and drive out. We’re going to pilot it in one neighborhood and I’m convinced it’s going to work, and we’re going to take it city wide.”

Woodfin last week announced a shift among senior police leadership by moving two deputy chiefs. The move came after leaders with the Fraternal Order of Police recently announced it was considering a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the Birmingham Police Department.

The mayor in May was met with mixed reaction when the city council approved his plan for a Citizens Observer Patrol, where volunteers who are not police officers would help patrol neighborhoods.

“If anybody listening to this has a plan or an idea on how to prevent people who know each other in a house, in a car, on private property, from shooting each other, the city of Birmingham is wide open or will accept their ideas and solutions,” Woodfin said during the podcast. “I don’t know a mayor or a police force that knows how to prevent two people in a house or an apartment or inside a car who know each other from shooting each other.”

Woodfin called economic and community development essential elements that continue to be strengthened, but addressing violent crime remains his most pressing priority.

“But I need the community’s help in doing it,” he said.