Jim Minor Garden Homes Director Willie Bonner reported a “wild” weekend at the Selma housing project during the Fourth of July weekend at Monday evening’s regularly scheduled Dallas County Commission meeting.

“From my knowledge, it was kind of rough out there,” said Bonner.

After describing shootings and arrests at the complex over the weekend, Bonner asked the Commission about the possibility of installing security cameras at the complex to monitor criminal activity.

Later in the meeting, County Attorney John Kelly said that cameras probably wouldn’t do the complex any good.

“The problem with putting the cameras up is that the people with guns are awfully good at shooting out the cameras, costing thousands and thousands of dollars,” said Kelly.

Kelly cited a Lease Enforcement Officer, which the Selma Housing Authority has, as a potential solution to the problem.

According to Bonner, those arrested at Jim Minor Garden Homes over the weekend were not tenants at the complex.

“None of them live out there, I’ve checked into that,” he said. “But they’re still coming up here from different areas and endangering Jim Minor Garden Homes.”

After listening to Bonner, Probate Judge and Commission Chairman Jimmy Nunn inquired about security at Jim Minor Garden Homes.

According to Bonner, the complex only has some security and the security guards that do watch over the area do not carry firearms.

“It’s been good, we haven’t been having any problems,” said Bonner. “It just was a wild weekend because of the Fourth of July.”

Commissioner Valerie Reubin expressed concern about the state of the complex.

“Jim Minor Garden homes has been kind of down, but we want things to start up,” said Reubin. “When people move into Jim Minor Garden Homes they sign a contract…the rules and regulations, the dos and the don’ts. But it’s these people coming in [that are causing problems].”

Bonner described groups of young men, mostly who live outside of the complex, gathering to gamble on the walkways of the facility.

“We would walk to them and catch them and tell them to go on, but you can’t catch them all night long,” said Bonner.

Bonner then said that many of the Jim Minor Garden Homes residents are afraid to go out at night when the large groups are out. According to Bonner, many of the tenants are single mothers.

Before adjourning the meeting, Nunn asked those in attendance to keep in mind the families of those who experienced injury and death over the Fourth of July weekend in their prayers.

“We had a bad Fourth of July here in Dallas County,” said Nunn. “We need prayer in the City of Selma and in Dallas County.”