Lieutenant Reva L. Palmer has been with the Birmingham Police Department for almost 20 years. She is proud to say that she has diligently served at all four precincts. Upon graduating from the Police Academy, she was a patrol officer assigned to the South Precinct. She was there for nine years before she was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2013.
After her sergeant promotion, Lt. Palmer was stationed at West Precinct. In 2014, she supervised Operation Close-Out, an annual crime prevention initiative during the holiday season. While supervising Operation Close-Out, she worked closely with the Crime Reduction Team (C.R.T.) and the Neighborhood Enforcement Team (N.E.T.). While at West Precinct, her leadership garnered a feature in the Birmingham Police Department’s “Behind the Line” newsletter. She was the recipient of the Leadership Cup Award, an award acknowledging the outstanding work and efforts of a sergeant/supervisor.
In 2016, Lt. Palmer was selected to be apart of the Community Service Division, where she served as the Community Policing & Revitalization (C.P.R.) Sergeant. As the C.P.R. Sergeant, she oversaw several programs, including the Citizens Police Academy, Youth Citizens Police Academy, Citizens on Patrol, and the Shadow an Executive Program. Having served in that capacity for over a year, Lt. Palmer was briefly transferred back to West Precinct before transitioning to the Detective Bureau in March 2018. While in the Detective Bureau, Lt. Palmer was in the Special Victims Unit (S.V.U.), working as the Sex Crimes Sergeant.After a brief stint in S.V.U., Lt. Palmer was moved to North Precinct, where she served until she was promoted to lieutenant in July 2019. As a lieutenant, she was a team player working in the South, East, and North Precincts.
Lt. Palmer is currently the commander of the Community Outreach and Public Education (COPE) Division, where she oversees the School Resource Officers, Community Service Officers, Crime Prevention Officers, the Community Engagement Officer, and the Chaplain Program.
During her tenure with the Birmingham Police Department, Lt. Palmer has been intentional in her efforts to enhance her leadership skills. She has completed a plethora of leadership courses, earning her the Supervisory Certificate and the Leading People, Managing Processes, and Professional Development program certificates.
Lt. Palmer was born and raised in Birmingham, AL, where she graduated from Wenonah High School. She continued her education by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama, “Roll Tide.”
