Law enforcement agencies want to connect with their community

An increase in crime has local law enforcement examining their tactics

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- An increase in crime has local law enforcement examining their tactics. Members of the district attorney’s office met with agencies in Noxubee County to share information and brush up on procedures.

“A lot of officers don’t get to testify in trial often but when they do it’s good to have that training on what to expect and how to respond to questions,” said assistant district attorney Tina Brooks.

Brooks and deputy district attorney Marc Amos put together a presentation on how officers and deputies should handle investigations on the front end, so their cases are tight when they get to the courtroom. Another key component is trying to get the community to engage with law enforcement.

“That’s the way that we solve crime and that’s the way we get convictions. Without community involvement it’s almost impossible to actually get convictions and so it’s critical witnesses like that will actually communicate with our investigators and police officers,” said Amos.

County investigators said bringing down future crime statistics starts now and it starts at home.

“Make sure you know where your kids are at at all times, what they’re doing, and what kind of company they’re around. If you have a young male check their rooms we have a lot of guns getting in the hands of juveniles these days and don’t know where they are coming from,” said Noxubee County investigator Douglas Triplett.

Putting something positive in place to redirect youthful energy and curiosity can go a long way. Noxubee County doesn’t have anything like that in place yet.

“We’re looking to bring something to the county and we’re asking all parents to help us. It takes a whole village to raise a child it doesn’t just start with law enforcement it takes the whole village to raise the child,” said Noxubee County chief investigator Tina Williams.

It’s not just law enforcement and parents that have to stay on top of kids.

“To be around a person that is positive and have positive things to do not negative.. Negative will always come out negative and positive will always come out positive so i think the community and the church plays a big part,” said Triplett.

Investigators continue to stress the role the public plays in *solving* and *preventing* crime. We’ve heard it before, but law enforcement officers from beat cops to police chiefs are always driving home the same message “If you see something, say something”.