Public Safety Director James Barber served with the United States Marine Corps prior to beginning his career with the Mobile Police Department where he served for over 28 years before being named the Executive Director of Public Safety on April 01, 2017, by Mayor Sandy Stimpson. He graduated at the top of his academy class with the highest academic average, highest firearms average, and the fastest agility time.
During his career with the Mobile Police Department he was assigned to various specialized units including Narcotics and Vice, Intelligence, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement, and Internal Affairs. His awards include Officer of the Year, four Excellent Police Duty Medals, and the rarely given Distinguished Service Medal. As an executive officer, he commanded every bureau in the police department before being appointed as the Chief of Police in November 2013. As the Police Chief, he implemented an Intelligence-led policing model that targeted criminals, not communities. This led to three of the four lowest total crime rates for the City of Mobile in nearly four decades. He was appointed as the Executive Director of Public Safety in April 2017.
He attended the University of South Alabama where he received his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice in 1996 and Troy State University where he received his graduate degree in Public Administration in 1997. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2004 and the prestigious FBI National Executive Institute in 2014. Director Barber’s motto is “Failure is not an option.”