The Selma City Council passed a resolution last week to increase security surrounding downtown bars and clubs.

The resolution is an update on a previous measure passed during Mayor Joe T. Smitherman’s administration.

Updates include raising the minimum age of security guards to 25, setting a date for security plans to be submitted — October 15 — and requiring a file on each security guard.

Council president Corey Bowie said the resolution is a proactive measure to preventing future crime in the downtown area.

“Basically we think that safety is paramount,” Bowie said. “I feel like things will move more smoothly. It’s been a positive collaborative effort between the city, police and the club owners.”

Bowie said security plans should include basic details on how a club plans to handle its security, such as how many security officers will be on duty at any given time and the procedure for dealing with an unruly patron. Security plans for 2014 should be submitted to the police department by Jan. 10, he said.

But the resolution may have missed out on one key element.

Club Entourage Owner Clyde Richardson said hiring off-duty police officers to provide extra security, or moonlighting, would benefit the clubs more than any portion of the resolution.

“What, do we spend our tax money to have the city babysit clubs at night,” Richardson said. “How would submitting a security plan improve security in downtown? If the city was to seriously do something, they need to let us moonlight police officers.”

Richardson and other club owners don’t want the off-duty police officers to enter the clubs, but rather patrol downtown at the clubs expense. He said hiring off-duty police officers is necessary because security officers don’t have jurisdiction on city property.

“As soon as you step out of that building you are on public property,” he said. “Once you get beyond that point, you can’t regulate security.”

Club owners’ requests haven’t fallen on deaf ears. Selma Chief of Police William Riley said he is in favor of letting clubs hire his officers to patrol after hours, but wants the request to be approved by the appropriate portions of city government, specifically the mayor and city council’s public safety committee.

“My only question is what do they want the police officers to do,” Riley said. “As long as they aren’t working inside the club, I am open to the idea. We aren’t seeing nearly as many calls as we used to in the downtown area and I’d like to see us working together to continue improving security.”