The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved a $4.2 million federal grant to help fund the police department’s Real Time Crime Center. “I just wanted to thank our federal partners, specifically Senator (Katie) Britt, for helping the city get this,” said Councilor Hunter Williams. “When we look at the amount of grants that the city of Birmingham has gotten over the past several years, I think it speaks to the partnership among the 10 of us and that we are working with our federal partners. It’s something that’s different that we have not seen in the city of Birmingham probably in our lifetime. … We’ve really been able to multiply the money we’ve gotten from the federal government.”