Interim Selma Police Chief says SPD needs facilities & equipment upgrade
From the West Alabama Newsroom–
More tonight on the state of the Selma Police Department — and the city’s ongoing search for a new police chief.
The four-member search committee made up of experienced law enforcement professionals is reducing a field of a dozen candidates down to a short list of finalists for city leaders to choose from.
Interim Police Chief Michael Perry says the next chief of the Selma Police Department will have the unenviable task of rebuilding the culture and structure of the department — and repairing the public trust. And he says that task has to start and end with police officers.
“It’s standards that need to be implemented to be a law enforcement officer,” said Perry.
“If that does not fit your profile, then you in the wrong business.”
Perry says the facilities the officers work in and the equipment they work with — sends a message to officers — that they are not valued by the community.
He says there are regular roofing issues and water leaks at police facilities — and offices that don’t have air conditioning.
And the police parking lot has become a grave yard for broken down squad cars and evidence.
“It looks like a police grave yard. Those cars been in that condition for years, just sitting around, broke down.
Perry says to improve the police department the city will have to invest in its officers.
“The starting pay is $18 an hour. That is nowhere enough money for what they do. They deserve way more than that. Because remember, they don’t run away from crime, they run to the problem.”
The last police pay raise was about 5 years ago in 2021.
City council president Kennard Randolph says the council will hold public interviews for the top candidates the search committee selects as finalists.
