Buckle up, or pay up.

That’s the word from the Selma Police Department, which officially begins its Click It or Ticket Campaign Sunday.

The two-week campaign is part of a statewide effort meant to promote seat belt usage. It will place officers on Selma’s streets to monitor motor-vehicle drivers and passengers to make sure that they are buckled up.

Lt. David Evans, head of the traffic division, said the campaign has helped to increase seat belt usage locally.

“Ever since starting the campaign, our usage rate in Selma has pretty much reached both the state and national average,” said Evans. “The main idea behind the campaign, however, is to reduce the number of fatalities that occur every year because of those who fail to wear their seat belt.”

Evans said the campaign focuses on two main areas: education and enforcement.

“Basically, the education part comes through commercials, and other types promotional material,” he said. “The enforcement is what our officers will be doing when the campaign officially begins.”

During the campaign, said Evans, the department will have what is known as saturation patrols, where units consisting of two to three officers each will patrol the most heavily trafficked areas of the city. Evans noted that there would be 14 saturation patrols over the two-week period.

He added that there would also be check points set up on May 25, May 27 and June 1 in some areas, including Dallas Avenue, Medical Center Parkway, Jeff Davis Avenue, Water Avenue and Earl Goodwin Parkway.

“Our officers will be checking drivers and passengers of motor vehicles at these check points to make sure they are wearing their seat belts,” said Evans. “We will also be looking for those who lack driver’s insurance, those who are driving while intoxicated, and we have been also known to catch those who have warrants against them.”

Evans added that in rural counties, and counties with a high minority population, seat belt usage is usually lower. “This makes our job a little bit tougher in Selma, but that just means we have to work a little harder,” he said.

The officers, he said, would be paid overtime during the two-week period through a $4000 grant issued by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

Added Evans, “Monitoring for seat belt use is something we do all the time. The purpose of the campaign, however, is to just to further emphasize that people really need to buckle up and keep safe.”