WEST POINT — The West Point board of selectman on Tuesday discussed grants and extending their lease agreement with the Mississippi State University therapeutic riding center.
Phylis Benson of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District updated the board on the $100,000 Community Development Block Grant it applied for in May to improve Zuber Park. A local match of around $80,000 will be needed should West Point be awarded the grant, she said.
Benson said the Mississippi Development Authority will be making a site visit to West Point. A site visit does not mean West Point will receive the grant, but it is a good sign according to Benson.
Benson also said MDA has recommended the city put aside $3,000 each year to make improvements to the park. The board voted unanimously to do so.
The board approved to extend a lease agreement with MSU Extension service for the therapeutic riding center, pending contract approval by the city attorney. The agreement will last 10 years. MSU handles all the utility costs associated with operating the center.
The board also entered into a memorandum of understanding with MSU to allow the Clay County Sheriff Office and West Point Police Department to use the firing range located on the 14 acre lot adjacent to the riding center. The agreement will allow local law enforcement to train within Clay County when there are no riding classes in session.
Police chief targets misdemeanor warrants
West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley said his department is exploring strategies to round up the city’s many misdemeanor warrants and make those people pay their fines. He said the fines will total in thousands of dollars the city is owed. Unlike felony warrants, law enforcement agencies do not actively pursue misdemeanor warrants, which are typically for failure to appear charges often involving traffic tickets. Two years ago, the department printed a full list of those with outstanding misdemeanor warrants in the West Point newspaper. Brinkley said the move brought in lots of revenue for the city. The payments are cash only.
“Now they’re starting to pile up again, and we are looking at ways to serve some of the warrants that we have,” Brinkley said. “We’re looking at organizing a warrant task force to try to serve some of these misdemeanor warrants.”
Selectman Keith McBrayer asked if they could advertise in the newspaper again, and Brinkley replied that he did not believe that tactic would be effective again.
Brinkley said his department is seeing a spike in driving under the influence charges — the department now has two officers dedicated to issuing DUIs — and domestic violence cases.
“I think that’s just a sign of the times,” Brinkley said.
West Point city attorney Orlando Richmond questioned the chief about the nature of domestic violence calls and what happens if someone is determined to be guilty of assault.
“We’re dealing with even more aggravated domestic violence cases,” Brinkley said.
Aggravated domestic violence suspects are initially jailed and have their cases presented to the grand jury, Brinkley said.
“Do we jail people for domestic violence that don’t reach that level?” Richmond asked.
“Yes,” Brinkley replied. “The misdemeanor domestic violence — whenever an officer responds to a call of domestic violence, the officers are mandated by law to make an arrest. So now officers cannot go to the scene of a domestic violence call and see somebody beat up — it’s not always the wife — if they see evidence of domestic violence situation, officers are mandated by state law to make an arrest. All too often when they get to court, the victim of the domestic violence elects to drop the charges.”
The chief said prosecutors are trying to prevent people from dropping charges.
Richmond said he would like to see it made more clear to people that domestic violence is not something that will be tolerated in the community.
The selectman also approved the Mississippi Justice Assistance Grant for WPPD. It is the fourth year the department has been granted the $5,000 grant. Brinkley said the grant will be used to buy more digital radios, which the department recently began using.
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