THE MOST NOTABLE DEVELOPMENT WAS THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MANNING LEVEL BY 299. ALTHOUGH THE GOAL OF 6,376 BY MARCH, 1980, WILL NOT BE REALIZED, IT WILL PROBABLY BE ACHIEVED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR. IN 1979, 28.7 PERCENT OF THE RECRUITS WERE WOMEN, DOWN FROM 40 PERCENT IN 1978. THE IMPROVED MANPOWER FIGURES RESULT PRIMARILY FROM THE ENHANCED PAY RATES IMPLEMENTED DURING 1978. THIRTEEN LETTER BOMBS EITHER EXPLODED OR WERE DEFUSED AT POST OFFICES IN THE BIRMINGHAM AREA. TWO MAJOR DEMONSTRATIONS OCCURRED WHICH NECESSITATED THE CANCELLATION OF LEAVE AND THE USE OF OTHER FORCES DURING THE YEAR. THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF 1979 SHOWED A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN CRIME RATES, BUT THERE WAS AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 2.3 PERCENT OVER THE LAST 9 MONTHS AS COMPARED WITH THOSE SAME MONTHS IN 1978. ARSON CASES WERE DOWN BY 1.4 PERCENT. SERIOUS WOUNDINGS WERE REDUCED BY 8.7 PERCENT, BUT LESS SERIOUS WOUNDINGS INCREASED BY 10.3 PERCENT OVER 1978. ROBBERIES AND BURGLARIES IN RESIDENCES ALSO FELL. THERE WAS A REDUCTION OF 12.5 PERCENT IN TRAFFIC FATALITIES, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE USE OF HAND-HELD RADAR DEVICES. TABLES SHOWING STATISTICS ARE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT THE REPORT.