Video: Columbus Police To Boost Presence

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COLUMBUS, MS (PRESS RELEASE) – Forty per cent more police officers will be on the street for the next three weekends in troubled areas of Columbus. The officers will be conducting “heavy patrol” in areas that have been the scene of shootings in 2016.
Mayor Robert Smith, members of the City Council and Interim Chief Fred Shelton made the announcement early Friday morning.
“We will be adding four more patrol officers during the weekend to spend time in the areas where we have received calls of shootings and other violence,” said Mayor Smith. “We know one of the answers to this crime is a bigger police presence and that starts today.”
Interim Chief Shelton said the extra patrols will also be in the residential areas and also at local businesses. “Marked units will spending more time patrolling our ‘hot spots’ and also local businesses and the parking lots of these businesses,” Shelton added. “The first step in reducing crime is to be there and these extra officers will do that.”
All five members of the Columbus City Council added their support to the plan. Ward Six Councilman Bill Gavin said early this morning, “This crime has got to stop. We have to be proactive and adding these officers to the street and increasing patrols is a solid step in the right direction in bringing this under control.”
Ward Two Councilman Joseph Mickens, Sr. said this morning the Council is united on this action. “The Council is 150 per cent behind the Mayor and the Interim Chief on this,” Mickens said. “We will protect our citizens and we will make Columbus safe; no matter what it takes. We take this responsibility very serious and are taking the steps needed.”
Smith approved extra overtime for the next three weekends for the increased patrols.
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