THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL

City officials say the state attorney general has the case of $3,000 missing from the Selma Police Department&8217;s drug evidence holding safe.

But Joy Patterson, a spokesperson for Attorney General Troy King&8217;s office, can&8217;t confirm the investigation or when the city turned over the case to King&8217;s office.

In January, acting police chief Jimmy Martin reported the money missing. At that time, he said he had launched an investigation into the matter.

Martin said he would look at bank statements and other financial records at City Hall to see if an accounting error had occurred.

No word came from Martin&8217;s investigation.

William Riley III came on as chief of police in February.

Council members mentioned the money, but agreed to give Riley time to settle in his job before asking about the investigation again.

In a work session about a week ago, Councilman Cecil Williamson asked about the cash again.

The mayor&8217;s office provided a statement handed out at the meeting, which wasn&8217;t read in public. Mayor James Perkins Jr. didn&8217;t attend the meeting.

The statement, marked received June 21, 2008, said, &8220;The Attorney General&8217;s Office is handling this matter. Upon taking over the Selma Police Department, I have contacted the AG&8217;s office to offer any assistance I can to help them. The matter is still being handled by the AG&8217;s office. This matter rests with them, and we await any response from them. We will have no further information on this matter until the AG&8217;s office provides us with it.&8221;