To the Editor:

Crime is out of control in Selma.

East side, west side, all around the town, reports of robberies and burglaries abound.

At Monday’s council meeting, a lady from Ward 6 reported that she and everyone on her street as well as a church on the street had been burglarized more than once.

When I returned home from the council meeting, my first call was from a lady in West Selma who told me of numerous break-ins in the Castlewood-Old Marion Junction Road area.

The foremost function of government is to ensure the safety of its citizens and their property.

My opinion is that the foremost function of our city government is to blast the county government as often as possible in order to get Kobi Little elected as Probate Judge.

Why else would the mayor have his Magnificent Seven

Reverends, some of whom have given him money and do not live in the city, present a petition to the City Council blasting the County Commission and asking that the city not fund the public library.

If government cannot protect its citizens, then citizens must band together to protect their families and their property.

I want to organize a pilot program of a Community Patrol in our Ward in the Castlewood-Old Marion Junction Road area.

Those involved would patrol the area perhaps a night a week from midnight to five.

I am getting information from other communities who have organized Community Patrols.

If there are men in that area who are interested in helping protect their neighborhood, please call me at 872-7327.

If there is sufficient interest, we will proceed to organize the Community Patrol. If we are not able as a city to rid our city of the thugs and criminals who are robbing citizens all over Selma, then martial law needs to be declared here, the National Guard sent in, and the city ridded of its criminal element.

It is time to take back our city from the criminals!

Cecil Williamson

Councilman Ward 1