Leroy Stover, who broke barriers in 1966 as the first Black officer hired by the Birmingham Police Department, passed away last week at the age of 90. He is remembered for his trailblazing 32-year career.
Integrating the Birmingham Force
Stover joined the Birmingham police force on March 30, 1966 at the age of 33. He climbed the ranks during his decades of service, eventually retiring as a deputy chief in 1998.
As the first Black officer
, Stover helped integrate a police force that had been entirely white. His hiring came after years of civil rights protests demanding fair representation.
The Birmingham Police Department mourned Stover’s passing, saying he “paved a way for others to follow in his footsteps.”
Facing Racism With Resolve
Author Bessie Stover Powell chronicled her uncle’s experiences in the book “Leroy Stover, Birmingham, Alabama’s First Black Policeman.” It details the racism and segregation Stover endured.
On Stover’s first day, he was refused police academy training and assigned a racist partner. Black officers faced discrimination from colleagues, including refusal to eat with them and dangerous undercover work.
Despite this hostile climate, Stover persevered in order to blaze a trail for other Black police. He served Birmingham residents for over three decades.
A Life of Service and Achievement
Before joining the police force, Stover served in the Army as a paratrooper from 1952-1953 during the Korean War. A native of Dallas County, Alabama, he was his high school’s valedictorian in 1952.
The West Precinct police station in Birmingham was dedicated to Stover in 2015 to honor his legacy. In 2021, the department quoted Stover saying: “If you live your life with integrity and treat people with respect, good things will happen.”
Stover’s trailblazing career and upright character made him a role model for Black officers. He will be remembered for his integrity and resolve while integrating a resistant institution.
