The Selma City Council adopted a crime reward fund to help solve unsolved crimes in July, and a few of the families of recent murder victims addressed the council last Tuesday.

Council members shared their condolences with the victims’ families and let the public know that a reward is on the table.

“We want to be a part of the process of making sure that the citizens of Selma will know that we take crime serious,” said Selma Mayor George Evans during the meeting. “For those that have taken someone’s life that doesn’t belong to them … is unacceptable, and we don’t want to tolerate it.”

Evans and the city council presented the families of Bridget Woods, Taffine Berry, Jimmy Wayne Griffin and Charles Simpson with resolutions authorizing the rewards for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible.

“It is the desire of the city council that by offering this reward, information will be brought forth which will enable the police department to identify, arrest and convict the person or persons responsible for this crime,” the resolutions stated.

The city put up $3,000, which is the most they are legally able to put, but the fund can grow larger with community donations.

“By law we can only put up $3,000, but I think the city council would have put up $25,000 or $50,000 if they could,” Evans said as he addressed the families.

“I have asked that citizens of Selma who also agree with this make donations to this fund, so we can make this larger. At some point, if it is big enough, somebody will talk. Somebody knows. God is not the only one who knows.”

According to the resolution, the reward will be good for up to one year, and the council will renew it each year.

“When this expires in one year, the city council will continue this every year as long as we’re here until someone is apprehended,” Evans said.

Evans brought each family to the front to present them with their resolution.

“We recognize that this is a tough time and certainly a time you really don’t like to remember, but we want to make sure that the public knows that we stand in support as a city,” Evans said.