Video: Birmingham murders drop in 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—- Birmingham enters 2009 following a down year for homicide investigations.

However, for those who live in troubled areas and others who lost loved ones, there is still plenty of work to be done.

85-year-old Grace Garner did her best to make you smile.

Just ask Rev. Sally Allocca at East Lake United Methodist Church, where Garner was a frequent visitor.

“It was just great to be around her. She said things that were really funny. Sometimes caught you off-guard and it was just great to be with her. She was just one of us,” Rev. Allocca remembered Monday.

Then a year ago, police say Antonio Reed beat Garner to death in her home, located only feet from her church.

In fact, it turns out Garner’s murder was one of six, including a double homicide, in the same part of the East Lake community last year.

That makes it the deadliest square mile in Birmingham for 2008.

“It’s awful. It’s disturbing. It’s frightening. It’s sad. You’d hope things would continue to get better except that just means there’s lots more work to do,” Rev. Allocca reacted.

As a whole, the city’s homicides dropped 6 percent last year.

The four Birmingham police precincts broke down like this: 

West precinct:  Down 6 percent.
East precinct:  Down 4 percent.
South precinct:  Down 40 percent.
North precinct:  Up 30 percent.

Rev. Allocca said she believes her church can be a beacon for good in her community.

“We hope to be a positive influence in the neighborhood in her memory and as people of faith to make some sort of difference so things like that happen less,” Rev. Allocca hopefully concluded.

Rev. Allocca said there are a lot of great people moving into her part of East Lake, and she said she thinks their influence will help force out the negative elements that are contributing to some of the crime.