Atmore City Council, sitting one member short, adopted Saturday morning (March 28) a resolution authorizing city police to issue a summons instead of making a physical arrest for most minor crimes.
Suspects will still be jailed for any crime involving violence or the threat of violence, as well as any crime involving alcohol or controlled substances, if in the opinion of the investigating officer the the suspect poses a risk to public safety.
Jail will also be in store for anyone committing a crime involving a minor, and for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The special council meeting, conducted by conference call, was attended by Mayor Jim Staff and all council members except District 3’s Chris Walker.
The resolution was the only item on the agenda, and the meeting lasted less than four minutes.
Also on Saturday, Staff issued an emergency health directive that closed all city parks, effective 5 p.m. today, and ordered that all parks remain closed until further notice, including West Park, where basketball goals will be removed until the emergency is over.