Law Enforcement Across Region Gearing Up For Memorial Day Holiday Weekend

NORTHEAST MISS. (WCBI) – Memorial Day is coming up and many people will be traveling, cooking out and enjoying family gatherings for the long weekend.
Law enforcement officers from around the area will also have a bigger presence on the roadways, trying to make sure everyone has a safe holiday.

In his nearly 30 years in law enforcement,  Chickasaw County Sheriff James Meyers knows Memorial Day weekends are busy and that means extra patrols and safety checkpoints.

“We try to schedule our shifts to where people are out more, during the day, as well as late evenings, trying to keep the roads patrolled really heavy, we will be working with Highway Patrol and Natchez Trace Rangers,” Sheriff Meyers said.

Sheriff Meyers plans ahead for the extra manpower needed for the Memorial Day patrols.  He says more officers on the road not only makes it safer for the public, but also gets criminals off the streets.

“The public would be surprised at the number of people that are intercepted at safety checkpoints, wanted for a various number of crimes, we run somebody’s driving history and come back with an arrest warrant out of another state, or local jurisdiction,” Meyers said.

Two counties away, members of the Law Enforcement Liasion Network meet before every holiday at Taylor’s Place.  They get a chance to go over grants available to police and sheriff departments for stepped up enforcement on holidays like Memorial Day.

“The grants help provide extra patrolmen to be able to be out , a lot of towns and cities counties cannot afford extra money to pay extra folks to come out and help these holiday weekends, so grants are invaluable being able to put more people on the street,” said Sherman Police Chief Joel Spellins, who is coordinator for Troop F of the LEL.

Spellins says the grants will specifically cover extra enforcement for seat belt usage and ensuring children are properly restrained in child seats.

The Memorial Day Enforcement Period starts Monday and goes through June the second.