This week has seen a lot of support coming into Selma and Dallas County in the form of grants and a task force.

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Richard Moore and local officials held a press conference to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) a $1 million grant to support the work of law enforcement agencies in Selma and the surrounding area.

The Strategic Selma Firearms Enforcement Task Force made its debut Wednesday.

Members of the group include officers in the Selma Police Department (SPD), Dallas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), Dallas County District Attorney Office and ATF.

“It’s pretty well known that we have a violent crime problem here in Selma,” Moore said. “Violent crime is starting to go down in the United States after having risen over the last six years.”

Things like this are what our community needs to bounce back from the problems we have had in the past.

The taskforce is having a lot of success, according to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson.

Tue plans for the grant is something that will help our community as well.

Specifically, the grant is designed to provide additional equipment for local law enforcement and cover overtime expenses for saturation patrols, but Moore stated that portions of the money could possibly be used to bolster the planned School Resource Officer (SRO) program, which is a “critical need” in the city.

These are just the beginning to what we need to get Selma and Dallas County back on track.