Print this story | E-mail story | This story has 11 comments Add your own | iPod friendly
Board votes to add officers to police force
Published Wednesday, November 28, 2007
NATCHEZ — The board of aldermen voted Tuesday to fill out the ranks of the Natchez Police Department by adding two officers to the budgeted force.
Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis made the motion, citing the importance of a full police force.
The police department was budgeted for 48 officers, but it only has 47 on staff. Six were out due to injuries and military duty, Police Chief Mike Mullins said.
City Clerk Donnie Holloway said the city could not afford the additional officers on top of last year’s across-the-board raise for police and firefighters.
“We don’t have the funding,” Holloway said. “We need to look a the budget. Our sales taxes have dropped.”
Mullins said even if the city budgeted 50 officers, the department rarely filled its budget. He said his department needed 48 officers to get the job done and it helped to have flexibility.
There is always the risk of an officer leaving for better pay or retiring, Mullins said.
“You can always get by,” he said. “But (the shortage) means we’re not doing enough traffic enforcement or enough continuous training.”
Mullins warned if he hired new, untrained officers, it would probably take 22 weeks of academy and on-the-job training before they were patrolling on their own.
Alderman James “Ricky” Gray said he supported budgeting more officers but wanted to see results.
“If they get back and there’s still a problem, I’m going to really have a problem with that,” Gray said.
Hiring two officers would not solve every problem in the community, Mullins said.
Mathis said she thought adding officers would help the situation.
“(Police and fire protection) to me is the most important issue, providing a safe environment for us to live in and bring our children up in,” she said.
The motion passed unanimously.
In other business:
4In a planning session before the regular meeting, three members of the board met with members of the planning commission regarding the proposed city development code.
Mayor Phillip West said since the board had not come to a general consensus about details in the code, the board could not say which way they would vote. The two boards discussed meeting again to work out details such as riverfront height restrictions and scrolling electronic boards.
4The board voted to back the purchasing of electronic indoor signs for the convention center. The center’s management company will pay for the signs.
4The board’s next meeting will be Dec. 11. The board scheduled the second December meeting for Dec. 18.
Comments
Posted by popwilly (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 5:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Get real Ricky, If you think the hiring of two more officers is going to stop the crime thats going on in Natchez you live in a dream world. Tell the truth, you just want to get rid of Chief Mullins.The two additional officers will help but not end the crime spree. We need more neighborhood watches and citizens getting involved. Keep up the good work Chief, we are behind you.
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 7:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, just move forward with getting more officers on the street. At least that's a step in the right direction.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on November 28, 2007 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why did Alderman Gray vote "for" the additional policemen when he had such reservations?
Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't understand Ricky Grays thinking, or lack of thinking. 2 more officers ins't going to reduce crime. There needs to be new strategies to fight this crime. not just more police. The budget needs to be adjusted also. Donnie Holloway was right, how can we add officers if we aren't going to add the funding?
Posted by observer (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 11:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Will the public know when (and how) the development code issue (and it is an issue!) will be brought up again? Will public input be allowed? This is a very urgent and important part of our town's future and Natchez citizens should not allow another private deal to be done under the table before anyone knows about it.
Keep us posted, Kevin. We depend on the sleuths at the Democrat to sniff out this stuff ahead of time - not just report it when it's a done deal.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
angie- just how "cute" do you think they will be if they have to put handcuffs on you and haul you to jail? :-) really, though, I, for one, realize the necessity of having more officers on the force. Crime and drug use has picked up in our area and the more TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED officers, the better.
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It does'nt hurt does it Angie??? lol
Posted by Omega (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Payraise? You call about 1% over 10 years a pay raise? Remember folks, the part time aldermen make about $23,000/yr and a starting patrolman makes about $24,000/yr for full time.
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 3:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's really pathetic.
Posted by DZNUTZ (anonymous) on November 28, 2007 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Two more officers are a step but how do you plan on retaining those officers once they get three yrs experience and decide to move onto to greener pastures? Not to mention the fact that you have to involve the people living in these crime ridden areas to envoke any lasting change. This is a quick fix with no lasting results that will come of it. Not trying to be negative but it is what it is.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on November 29, 2007 at 12:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
angie-I do hope you know I was just messing with ya' on this one. I couldn't resist that little remark though. You always thinking about the guys and their looks! LOL!!!
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)