The state’s largest Fraternal Order of Police is considering a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the Birmingham Police Department.

The FOP Lodge #1 consists of between 1,350 to 1,400 members – 80 to 90 percent of those from Birmingham’s force.

FOP Vice President Lawrence Billups, at a Tuesday news conference, said a motion was made on June 4 to consider a full-body vote, citing lack of leadership, low morale, and other issues.

“We are not getting the leadership we deserve nor are the citizens of Birmingham,’’ Billups said.

“We have a divided administration,’’ he said. “We have a chief that’s basically going around saying he has no control over his department.”

“We have nobody leading us, giving us direction,’’ Billups said.

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin appointed Thurmond to the chief’s position in June 2022. He had served as the interim chief for the five months prior to his appointment.

Thurmond’s command staff includes Assistant Chief Assistant Chief La’Quaylin Parhm Mack, Deputy Chief Michael Pickett, Deputy Chief Shelia Frazier-Finney, and Deputy Chief Onree J. Pruitt Jr.

Woodfin released a statement saying he supports BPD leadership and is in constant communication with FOP leaders to address challenges facing officers.

“It’s unfortunate that some members of FOP, those who speak for themselves and not FOP as a whole, are causing distractions and not constructive solutions. We hope they join our efforts in bringing new recruits to the force.”

The FOP’s executive board in 2021 also issued a vote of no-confidence in Thurmond’s predecessor, former Chief Patrick Smith and then-Assistant Chief Darnell Davenport.

The vote was not carried out by the full membership, but the boards voted consistent with feedback they’ve received from the membership.

The vote against Smith, the first in the city’s history against a sitting police chief, cited a spike in violent crime, as well as an unprecedented low in morale among the rank-and-file during Smith’s three-year tenure.”

A no-confidence vote is symbolic only. The vote of the full FOP never happened before Smith left unexpectedly.

“Somebody told us we’re just not happy with any leaders, that we just want who we want,’’ Billups said. “That’s not it. Everybody that does this job is held accountable and that accountability goes from the top all the way down to the last officer.”

“We make sure everybody is accountable,’’ he said. “We’re accountable to our members and the chief is accountable to the men and women he leads.”

“Our citizens don’t deserve an ‘I can’t run my department,’’’ Billups said. “These citizens can’t keep sleeping in their bathtubs and on the floor. It just can’t keep happening.”

“And you can’t pick and choose which neighborhoods you want to put officers in and care for them,’’ he said. “Everybody deserves the same amount of protection.”

A common complaint against the former chief was that he was an “outside,” brought in from the Los Angeles Police Department and not in tune with the needs of the community and the department.

Thurmond has spent his entire law enforcement career – 25 years – at BPD.

“You have to have the skills to lead and get people to listening to you,’’ Billups said of the current administration. “The thing with Thurmond is he is a good person, he has a good heart but lacks leadership.”

“We don’t have a direction and it’s been a year since I’ve asked,’’ he said. “You need to stand up, go against the grain and lead the department or leave the department.”

Billups said there are serious problems with officer staffing and with morale, which go hand-in-hand.

“Staffing causes an issue with morale,’’ he said, “and morale is the reason we’re short in staffing.”

Birmingham City Council President Darrell O’Quinn previously said there are 296 unfilled police officer positions in the city. He cited a city department personnel report the council received in April.

“That’s factual information and we hear it anecdotally from people on the street in terms of response times,” O’Quinn told AL.com.

Officer Deangelo Hall, president of the Birmingham Fraternal Order of Police, also said last month the shortfall of officers is a troubling problem that has multiple causes, including low employee morale due to longer shifts and high stress.

“We’re having three-year, five-year, nine-year and 13-year vets packing up and leaving,” Hall told AL.com. “So obviously there are some issues there that we’ve got to iron out. We’re trying to iron out a couple of things and present a plan to the mayor’s office.”

Billups said more officers have left since O’Quinn provided those numbers.

He said the department is budgeted for about 725 positions.

“Our numbers are down by 300,’’ he said. “If we go anything further, we won’t be able to do the job we need to do properly so at what point does the administration actually come with a plan?”

Billups retired from the department in 2017 and returned months later under a rehire incentive plan BPD offers. When he left, there were about 970 officers, he said.

“In 2018, we were at 875 officers,’’ he said.

“People say but the population has shrunk,’’ Billups said. “It really hasn’t. People have moved to the suburbs, but they still do what they do in Birmingham.”

Billups said there are a number of issues plaquing officers, and more needs to be done to recruit and retain officers, including better pay and benefits.

“We saved our way into this issue,’’ he said, “now we have to buy our way out of it.”

He said FOP leaders plan to meet with the mayor later this week.