Pay, residency hurt M.P. police

By MARY PEREZ

SUN HERALD

MOSS POINT - Police Chief Demetrius Drakeford told the Board of Aldermen Tuesday night that raising the pay and eliminating the residence requirement could help the city fill the nine vacancies on the police force.

Alderman Shorty Middleton said he's asked at least five police offers who left the force why they quit.

"Pay was their No. 1 concern," he said, and noted that Moss Point police salaries are still under that of Gautier and other neighboring cities.

Alderman Tommy Hightower pointed out, "The police department has a number of officers that have not met the residency requirement, some of them going back to 1994." Members of the force are required to live in Jackson County, but that requirement was waived for a year after Hurricane Katrina.

Drakeford said other cities are moving to allow their police officers to live within a 50 mile radius. When Hightower asked if the board should look at a similar proposal, Drakeford replied: "I think it would definitely help us in our recruiting. It would help us get better applicants."

Hightower said he's been inundated the past three weeks with calls from residents in the Riverwood subdivision who have seen several burglaries and car thefts.

"There's some irate people," Hightower said, and they want to see police patrolling their neighborhood.