The fifth annual Alabama River Chili Cookoff took part Thursday on Water Avenue and was a big hit once again.

Just about everyone loves the chili, but the real reason the cookoff is so successful is because it’s so community oriented.

People from all types of organizations within Selma and Dallas County come together to dance, cook some chili and have a good time. Plus, it’s all for a good cause.

Each year the cookoff benefits a charity within Selma and Dallas County. This year the Selma Area Food Bank was the beneficiary.

To put it simply, the cook-off is an example of everything right within Selma. It’s a positive event that brings people of all ages, genders and races together for a charitable cause, so we have to admit one of the comments we saw on Facebook was pretty surprising.

Someone who shared our Facebook gallery of photos wrote “They don’t care about solving murders.” That’s a real head scratcher to us.

Yes, there were a lot of city officials and police officers at Thursday’s cook-off, but that’s a good thing for our community. It’d be unrealistic for anyone to expect our entire police force to work every second of every day. Those guys deserve to have some fun too.

Plus, it’s a good thing for citizens to see members of law enforcement out and about. It makes people more comfortable to go to the police when something does take place and creates more trust between the community and officers.

The families of our city’s recent homicides — and families of all unsolved murders for that matter — deserve justice and we’re sure nobody wants that more than the Selma Police Department. Part of the way to eliminate violence in the future is to strengthen Selma’s connection with police and Thursday was another step in that direction.

Thanks to Selma-Dallas County Leadership Class XVIII, who again provided one of the most family fun events of the year.