Selma Police Chief (SPD) Spencer Collier is disappointed with the Selma City Council and City Attorney Jimmy Nunn’s attempt to take control of law enforcement funding derived off seized funds in criminal operations from the Selma Police Department.

According to Collier, under federal law enforcement equitable sharing programs, local law enforcement is awarded a portion of sized assets from criminal organizations if the local agency participated in the investigation.  Law enforcement can also be awarded assets obtained from ill-gotten gains if the funds are condemned by judicial order.  An Alabama Attorney General’s Opinion and the judicial order condemning the funds all clearly spell out those funds must be utilized by law enforcement to enhance public safety.

Over the past 18 months, the SPD has participated in multiagency counter narcotic operations and helped seize tens of thousands of dollars of money generated from the narcotics trade in and around Selma.  Over 20 percent of seized funds is awarded to the District Attorney’s Office.

For the second time this summer, the council proposed taking control of the funds and limiting law enforcement to spending a maximum of $5,000 a year. Over the past several weeks, the SPD attempted to purchase body armor, surveillance equipment and radios for officers with asset forfeiture funds as opposed to tax dollars.  All of the requests were denied by City finance.

“The failure to provide our officers with proper body armor is an officer safety concern and a liability for the city,” Collier said. “The funding is there, but an arbitrary decision made by someone that knows nothing about law enforcement is asinine.

“I want the families of our officers to know what is transpiring,” Collier continued. “It will be me going to a grieving wife or mother should something happen to one of our officers, not someone in finance.”

Collier said SPD officers were recently unable to make a major felony undercover case because “buy money” from asset forfeiture was denied by city finance and they had to shut down the operation. The new proposal recommended by the Council requires expenditures to go before them. Publicly requesting funding for surveillance or money to purchase narcotics or illegal guns made the operation useless.   “I have never heard of a law enforcement agency required to inform a city council of a planned operation to intercept criminal conduct,” Collier said. “Common sense would dictate such a requirement would jeopardize officer safety.”

Collier said he talked with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney over the proposed procedure. He also plans to invite the family members of the SPD, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Benevolence Association, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office to the next Council meeting on Sept. 11.