To the Editor:

How much longer will Mayor Perkins let Police Chief Martin embarrass the mayor and the city of Selma? This hoax that Martin perpetrated as an assassination attempt to divert attention from his incompetence and from rampant crime in the city is more than sufficient reason for the mayor immediately to remove Martin.

Where was Chief Martin when two men were in his apartment between Sept. 28 and Oct. 11? At his home in Bibb County, no doubt!

Selma has a code section requiring the police chief to reside in the city of Selma. How much longer is Mayor Perkins going to turn a blind eye to his police chief breaking this law? If the police chief of a city does not obey the law do not think thugs and criminals will.

What an embarrassment to the city of Selma that Chief Martin started this assassination attempt hoax and let it spread all over Alabama and throughout the nation on the AP wire.

Now people nationwide think Selma is so lawless and under criminal control that people will even attempt to kill the police chief. Rather than telling the truth and stopping this besmirching of Selma’s good name, Chief Martin seemed to encourage the story by talking to the press.

What a disgrace to Mayor Perkins and Chief Martin that a church across the street from city hall has to hire off duty sheriff’s deputies to protect church goers on Wednesday and Sunday nights because the city will not protect its own citizens.

This is a sad commentary of how the mayor and chief are failing the taxpayers of Selma and not fulfilling their primary duty to protect Selma’s citizens and our property.

And what a commentary on what people think about the mayor and chief that it is the county sheriff who is providing protection for church goers one block from city hall.

The city council majority made a terrible mistake in giving the mayor the power to appoint the police chief.

It is time for the council to take back the power, remove Jimmy Martin as police chief and hire a competent police chief who will not embarrass Selma across the entire nation.

Cecil Williamson

Councilman Ward 1