The Public Safety Committee met Thursday night to discuss a variety of issues, including the possibility of stationing at five Selma Police Department (SPD) officers in some Selma City schools.

According to SPD Chief Spencer Collier, the idea has been one tossed around between him and Selma City Council President Corey Bowie for some time.

The two have been working with Selma City Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams to draft a contract to place the officers in the schools in place of private security officers currently protecting the schools.

The working contract calls for five officers to be designated as School Resource Officers (SROs), with three being stationed at Selma High School and two at R.B. Hudson Middle School.

The local school system would cover half of the cost and the city would pick up the other half.

Collier said the move is a boon for both the city and the school system – it would allow for five officers to be hired for the cost of only two and it would place properly-trained officers in local schools to build relationships with students while keeping them safe.

Multiple council members raised concerns about the need to come up with additional funds to pay the officers, but were on board with the concept of having them stationed at Selma schools.

“The bookends of our city are public schools and public safety,” Bowie said. “Those are two important pieces.”

The contract hasn’t been finalized and likely won’t come up for a vote for a few weeks.

The committee also heard from SPD Traffic Commander Lt. Reginald Fitts about the process for being added to the department’s emergency dispatch rotation.

Concern about the process has come up since an applicant addressed the council last month.

Applicants must provide a variety of documents and undergo SPD inspections before the department can sign off on the application – once that’s done, the council has final say on whether or not a wrecker service can be added to the rotation.

“We would welcome them in the rotation,” Collier said. “Three is a little difficult.”

“We just want to do our due diligence and be fair across the board,” Fitts said.

Councilwoman Miah Jackson asked about a $14,000 charge listed in financial statements for vehicle storage.

“There’s never been a policy about an extended case where we have to maintain a chain of custody,” Collier said, noting that when a vehicle has to be held for evidence it has to be stored at a private business because the SPD office is not secure enough for vehicle storage.

Collier stated that it might be wise to draft an ordinance that allows for the process of long-term vehicle storage to be bidded out.

The committee also discussed creating a Citizens Review Board, which would act as an advisory council to the SPD and began drafting plans for the National Night Out event in August, which provides the community with an opportunity to meet with local law enforcement in a family-friendly environment.

On March 26, the department will hold its next Coffee with a Cop event at The Coffee Shoppe on Broad Street and on October 26 there will be another Cemetery Run to benefit the department.

“Public safety means a lot to the city,” Councilwoman Jannie Thomas said. “Right now, people are afraid. People feel safe when they see a patrolman.”