Double Arrest Has Water Operators Urging People to Pay Their Utility Bills

CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a crime no one really thinks about, but law enforcement says it happens more often than you might think.

That crime is utility theft.

The thing about utility theft is companies would have had to give thieves multiple chances to pay their bill before calling law enforcement.

They don’t want any trouble; they simply want you to pay your bill.

Two men in Calhoun County were arrested on the same day for the same crime: theft of utilities.

In their case, they were stealing water.

The catch is arresting someone for this crime is rare.

“A lot of time, especially rural water associations, they’ll work with people,” said Chickasaw County Sheriff, Jim Meyers. “I mean, a lot of time, you know, it happens more than charges that actually happened because they’ll go see them and give them a good talking to.”

When someone fails to pay their water bill, water associations respond at the beginning of the month.

“They have usually a representative that will go out and look and make sure that it is stolen,” said Meyers.

As Charles Mahan describes, a lock is put on the water system, but sometimes people go to the extreme to break the law.

“You’ll find where something’s been put in, and you’ll find where your lock, your ears have been broken off or possibly the lock has been cut,” described Mahan.

“Somebody goes out there and takes it upon themselves to cut that lock off, but basiclaly they’re in violation of the statute of stealing water,” added Meyers.

The crime of stealing utilities is only a misdemeanor, but it can result in jail time.

In Mahan’s 24 years as a water operator, he’s had to file cases only a handful of times, and that’s a last resort.

“I would just try to go and work with them any way I could, just hoping they would pay,” said Mahan. “A lot of times it’s people I know real well like my neighbors. You know, people I live on the same road with.”

As Mahan has said, he tends to work with his customers in these situations, but all of this can be avoided if everyone can just do one simple thing.

“Just please pay your water bill,” emphasized Mahan. “It makes life so much better on you. It makes our job so much easier because all we’re wanting you to do is pay your water bill.”

Again, while jail time is a last resort for these rural utility companies, it’s not out of the question.

Workers want to emphasize, again, to pay your monthly bill.