Selma to serve as law enforcement training site

By Katie Nichols (Contact) | Selma Times-Journal

Published Monday, May 25, 2009

Selma residents may see an influx of uniformed officers Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Law Enforcement Training Conference will be held at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center and will train officers on the local level and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, and Drug Enforcement Administration.

The topics officers will be trained in were selected so the classes would be most beneficial to officers in the central and southern parts of Alabama.

“We worked with the U.S. Attorney’s office to choose the different topics,” District Attorney Michael Jackson said. “This was done before, but with the recent events it makes them even more important.”

Officers will learn about methamphetamine initiatives and how to spot and stop meth labs.

On May 5, the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force arrested two Selma residents, John Mooney and Cammie Morgan, for trafficking methamphetamine. They allegedly had multiple ounces of meth in their possession and illegal possession of prescription pills.

The arrests are just the first of many Jackson said and hopes the training will help continue the war against drugs.

“We were happy about the arrests,” he said. “We hope that more come in the future though, and I think the training will help. We will continue to clean up the meth problem in this circuit.”

Officer safety and survival is another concern of all law enforcement officers, especially in the wake of the recent attacks on Alabama officers. This course is designed to offer new tips and reinforce old procedures to ensure their safety.

Civil rights has become a hotter topic in the wake of a video of Birmingham officers beating a man, as people debate whether it was justified or police brutality on Web sites and radio shows. Officers at the Law Enforcement Training Conference will receive a course in civil rights, which is designed to reiterate old lessons.

Officers will also be trained in highway interdiction, administrative asset forfeiture and seizure guidelines and anti-terrorism training.

For Selma police and Dallas County sheriff’s deputies, the training will happen in their backyard. This is especially good for police, who are required to have training every year. Police officers are required to receive 12 hours of additional training every year outside of mandatory training such as firearms. Police chiefs and supervisors are required to complete even more executive hours. The conference is Alabama Peace Officers Standard and Training certified for continuing education and executive level training.

“We are looking forward to the magnitude of different law groups at the conference,” Selma Police Chief William T. Riley III said. “This will allow us to all get the same training and it helps us a lot.”

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