One agency has 32 sworn officers, while the other has more than 50. One agency patrols from Plantersville to Orrville, from Selmont to Marion Junction. The other patrols the likes of Marie Foster Street, Riverview and Old Town.

But while the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and Selma Police Department cover different areas and at times, carry out different missions, the two departments face very real and very similar dangers.

Weapons you would find in the hands of terrorists and enemy combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan are in the hands of everyday criminals here. The two agencies arm themselves with the weapons they feel will do the job, but no more than that.

“We want to avoid any use of force issues and injuring anyone other than we have to,” Selma chief of police William Riley said. “We have to know what handguns our officers are carrying and what type of ammunition they are using.”

For Dallas County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Randy Pugh, the types of weapons carried by deputies must fit within guidelines and must be approved by the department.

“We do give our deputies guidelines on the type of handguns they can carry,” Pugh said, saying deputies can carry 9-mm, .40 caliber or .45 caliber handguns. “But, no matter what they decide to carry, they have to qualify on the state course with that weapon.”

Both agencies also control the type of ammunition offers or deputies carry in the field.

The biggest fear both departments said was an officer having to use their weapon and the bullet continuing on into an unintended victim.

For the Selma Police Department, the department doesn’t stop at just regulating and providing the ammunition. The city purchases and provides each officer a .40 caliber Glock handgun.

In December, the city of Ashland, near Anniston, began discussions on providing their law enforcement officers handguns, calling the move part of an effort to reduce the city’s liability in the event an officer had to use their weapon.

While Riley did say the department outfits their officers and cars with firearms, including shotguns and in some cases, AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, officers do have the option to carry a back-up weapon of their own.

“For instance, if I carry a .380 as a back-up weapon, then that’s fine,” Riley said. “But, I have to go to the range and qualify with that weapon on a state-approved course.”