University of Alabama Police Department Hires Birmingham PD Chief

The rapidly growing University of Alabama Police Department will soon have another veteran leader on hand to oversee its officers, the school announced on Tuesday.

UAPD is hiring Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond to serve as deputy chief. He'll step into the role on December 2nd

Thurmond, who has led BPD since 2022, boats over 25 years of police experience. A UA spokesperson said he applied for the open deputy chief role in August and a hiring committee selected Thurmond from a group of other qualified candidates.

He'll join UAPD Chief John Hooks and lead more than 100 sworn officers as the department grows into one of the larger police forces in Alabama and certainly among the best paid.

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“Chief Scott Thurmond is a remarkable police leader who has served his community with dedication, professionalism and integrity for many years,” Hooks said in a press release. “He has a tremendous amount of law enforcement and public safety experience. Police leaders across the state speak highly of Chief Thurmond’s character, abilities, knowledge and commitment.”

Thurmond will oversee UAPD's Patrol and Traffic divisions, their off-campus unit and canine unit and more, and will serve as acting Chief when necessary.

“It is an honor and privilege to have been selected to serve as deputy chief of The University of Alabama Police Department,” Thurmond said. “I look forward to working with the men and women of the police department as well as the faculty, staff and students of the University. The University of Alabama Police Department is an excellent police department, and I am elated to be part of the team.”

The University said Thurmond has been with BPD since 1998 and commanded both their Patron and Investigative Bureaus before leading the department. He also boasts extensive training from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is an alumnus of the University of Montevallo.

“I believe our institution, our community, and our police department are fortunate to have someone of his caliber and passion for service working on our team at The University of Alabama Police Department,” Hooks said.