You see them everyday — riding around Selma and even on the outskirts of town. They’re the “boys in brown” as some people might put it- Dallas County Sheriff’s deputies.

Few people know what an integral part they play in protecting and serving the public while maintaining a close relationship with the Selma Police Department. Both departments have their hands full on a daily basis, trying to muster up enough man-power to enforce the laws of the land and keep an eye on the bad guys.

But when it comes to team work, Sheriff’s deputies and Selma Police will tell you they are always at each other’s assistance. Whether its a drug bust, traffic accident or a homicide investigation, the two entities become as one when they arrive on the scene for help.

Narcotics investigator Nash Gibson can vouch for that. He has worked with Selma Police Department’s own “Starsky and Hutch” — better known as detectives Tommy Buford and Mike Palmer on several occasions. Gibson admits without assistance from Selma PD, some cases would fall through the cracks.

To get a better understanding of how the Dallas County Sheriff Department assists the Selma Police, Sheriff Harris Huffman sat down and explained a number of duties his department does that few people know.

Besides covering the 976 square miles of Dallas County, sheriff’s deputies also work in the city — serving warrants, executing search warrants, serving juvenile

pick-up orders, delivering execution of garnishments, in charge of all inmate extradition, serving as funeral escorts, providing security for special events with the city and in the Dallas County School system, providing security for circuit and district court, and patrolling the city and assisting police during inclement weather.

And that’s not all. Deputies also assist police during elections and drug enforcement, while still having time to participate in youth activities and church related activities, Huffman explained.

“It’s all in a days work. We have three criminal investigators, three narcotics investigators, 17 uniformed deputies, three off-duty deputies, and there’s still a need for more people. However, we’re glad to have the people we do have. They are a great group of people to work with,” Huffman smiled.

“We do everything the Selma Police Department does and more. However, we don’t write accident reports. We do assist in traffic accidents. We’re going to assist anybody and everybody that needs our help. The Selma Police Department and Sheriff’s Department always help each other,” Huffman said.

So the next time you see a sheriff’s patrol car or Selma Police officer, know they are doing more than drinking coffee and eating doughnuts. They’re out protecting and serving the community.