High murder rate raises concern for Dallas County

In 2024, Dallas County, with 37,000 people, had two more murders than the state’s largest city, Huntsville, with 225,000 people.

Of Dallas County’s 16 homicides last year, 10 happened within the city limits of Selma.

Not even two months into 2025, Selma already has four murders on the books. Two involved teenagers. They all involved guns.

Selma Police Chief Kenta Fulford says one homicide is too many and acknowledged the rate in a county the size of Dallas County is too high.

Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. says it’s not just Selma dealing with a rise in gun violence. He hears from mayors across the country battling a prevalence of shootings in their neighborhoods.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, in a city of 196,000 people, saw a 100-year-old homicide record broken in 2024 with 149 murders that included a mass shooting that killed four and injured 17 outside a club in October. After the mass shooting, the police chief resigned and an interim chief was put in place.

Regional neighbor Montgomery recorded 55 homicides last year in a city of 195,000. Montgomery got a new police chief earlier this month.

Dallas County Coroner Alan Dailey said there is often no motive found in their homicide investigations, including the four so far this year.

“(The police) are frustrated because there’s no motive behind them,” Dailey said. “It’s hard to determine and solve problems without the motivations behind them.”

Dailey speculated random arguments are escalating and then guns get pulled. “Arguments have always been between people, but not to the point where guns were pulled. When I grew up, we would have a fight, and it would go on for two or three days, but by the end of the week, we were friends again.”

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Both Dailey and Fulford said too many people today do not think before they act. They pull guns to resolve a conflict, but the problem there is “you can’t take it back,” Daily said.

Fulford emphasized a need for conflict resolution. “We must not be so quick to pick up a gun or turn to violence to solve an issue that we may have with someone,” he said.

The next step is to teach at an early age how to resolve conflict, Fulford said, suggesting classes in school. “This is a session that needs to be taught in the classroom since violence has become more prevalent among the youth,” Fulford said.

Dailey said many problems go back to parenting, but some parents are afraid of their children. “You get on to your child very often, he can go get a lawyer and sue you. Same way in our school systems.”

Another solution could be getting the church and clergy more involved. However, Dailey said, “you first have to get them into church.”

Fulford pointed to new technologies the police are incorporating to help solve and deter crimes, including the new SkyCop surveillance camera system that has been installed around town.

In all four homicides so far this year, Fulford reports arrests have been made.

Dailey said law enforcement leans on technology, saying perpetrators “are not going to get away with it. With law enforcement technologies and investigative techniques today, they don’t get away with it very often.”

But for families and friends who cared for the victims, the damage is already done, he said.

“Now you’ve ruined the life of person you killed and that family, and you ruined your life and your family,” Dailey said. “There are things you just never get over.”