MONTGOMERY, Ala. – People who wear sagging pants in Selma could end up paying a fine and doing community service work.
The Selma City Council voted 5-2 to ban sagging pants that fall more than three inches below the hips. District Attorney Michael Jackson urged the council to approve the pants ordinance. He said it will make people feel freer to tell young people to pull up their pants.
Councilman Samuel Randolph said the new ordinance is close to racial profiling because it is geared toward minority teenagers.
The district attorney told the Selma Times-Journal that enforcement will require common sense, but someone showing underwear and skin is wearing their pants too low.
The ordinance provides fines of up to $100 for a juvenile and $200 for an adult.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.