Police Department Beefing Up Staff

Vicksburg Police Chief Milton Moore says we have five officers in training at the Police Academy.  They will be patrolling the streets of Vicksburg in November.

Since Moore transitioned into the Chief’s job there has been a change in the way we patrol the streets.  Moore has dedicated 5 officers to Traffic Patrol and created the ‘Net’ team.   The effect is there are fewer patrol officers but with the traffic and Net teams, their efforts are more focused.

The “Net” team is a specialized force that targets increases in specific criminal activity.

The long-term effect of Chief Moore’s plan is to keep the streets safe with a multitude of efforts that include community involvement.  The largest crime problem facing America is drug abuse and the chain of criminal activity that follows it.  Vicksburg is not immune to that problem and like most smaller cities in the South, we have our share of petty theft related to drug usage.

Chief Moore, along with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen are working to increase the starting pay of officers so we can remain competitive to attract and retain officers.  We’ve lost 18 officers since May of 2016.  Most have gone to higher paying jobs with other police departments or the Highway Patrol.