The area around Alabama Avenue and Washington Street is not a safe place to be after midnight, warns Selma Police Chief Robert Green &045; especially on weekends when crowds of people mingle outside two nearby nightclubs.

A string of shootings in the area in recent weeks has left two people dead and three people injured.

During a press conference Monday, Green said he had discussed with Mayor James Perkins Jr. about having the liquor licenses removed from two Alabama Avenue clubs, the Platinum Club and the Tornado Club.

According to city attorney Jimmy Nunn, such an action can be a drawn-out process.

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is the only state entity that has the authority to issue or revoke liquor licenses. &uot;For a license to be removed, the ABC board in Montgomery has to have a hearing based upon the city of Selma’s recommendation,&uot; Nunn said.

Council members can only vote on whether or not to allow a local business to serve alcohol and then send a notice to the ABC board.

But shutting down a local business is something Perkins said he does not intend to do.

Perkins said he is anticipating having a meeting with Green and members of the city council to discuss the problems occurring in the vicinity.

The first incident took place Feb. 28, when Selma resident Paul Jermaine Molette, 21, was shot and killed near the intersection of Alabama Avenue and Washington Street. Mario Jermaine Simmons of Orrville has been charged in connection with the shooting.

On Oct. 19, three people suffered gunshot wounds after an unknown suspect opened fire in a parking lot at the corner of Alabama and Washington.

Selma’s tenth murder of the year was committed last week in this same area. Eric Huntington, a 20-year-old Selma resident, was shot and killed Friday.