The Selma Police Department’s officers patrolling the streets have their hands full.

Recently, a group of citizens who participated in ride-a-longs as part of the department’s Citizens Police Academy got a first-hand look at just how much work these officers do.

When asked to give remarks on their experiences, almost all of the participants in the program pointed out how much work these officers put into their daily shift.

Unfortunately, every citizen of Selma does not have the luxury of getting a first-hand look at a typical day for a Selma Police officer. As a result, they often do not respect the effort our policemen and women put in.

Because officers can’t be everywhere at once, many believe they aren’t doing their jobs. In reality, there simply aren’t enough officers in Selma to handle the volume of calls the department receives.

This is a combination of a lack of funding and better equipped departments in neighboring counties.

It’s hard for an officer to turn down more money for less strain and better working conditions. Because other departments can offer just that, our department is having a tremendous problem retaining some of its best offficers.

We often hear people complain about the anount of crime in the area and the fact that there aren’t enough officers to  respond to every incident. Instead of complaining, we should support measures to  being more officers and retain the men and women we already have in uniform.

Additional revenue is needed  to create a safer Selma.

Other departments are not going to  lower their standards. It’s up to us to step forward and give our officers better working conditions.