From left: Miles Police Sgt. Myford Little; Janice Blackwell, Miles College Chief of Police; Carlton Peeples, FBI Special Agent in Charge Birmingham Field Office; Miles College President Bobbie Knight; Miles Police Lt. Mario White. Little and White wear the tactical vests supplied by the FBI. (Mya Jolly, Miles College)
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By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
On Wednesday, FBI Birmingham equipped Miles College police officers with legacy body armor designed to provide underfunded departments with effective equipment as another level of protection.
Carlton Peeples, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Birmingham Field Office, said Miles College law enforcement officers are “now equipped with one more tool to keep them safe as they work to keep the students, faculty, and members of the Birmingham community safe.”
Miles College President Bobbie Knight said the equipment “will greatly enhance our ability to ensure the safety and well- being of our students, faculty, and staff … the tactical vests will be a key resource in our efforts to protect our campus community.”
Peeples said, the partnership with Miles was established through the FBI’s Beacon Project, an initiative to increase inclusion for underrepresented communities within the FBI, as well as to improve community outreach and recruiting strategies for minorities, utilizing partnerships with collegiate institutions and private/public organizations.
The pilot program originated with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and has become the “blueprint” to facilitate proactive recruitment and engagement, he said.
