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Southaven board redirects $2 crime-stoppers assessment to state program amid questions about local reporting
Summary
The board approved a resolution redirecting an existing $2 assessment on certain citations from the local crime-stoppers entity to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety program; aldermen questioned whether the local program receives tips and discussed forming a nonprofit local crime stoppers organization for the future.
The Southaven Mayor and Board of Aldermen approved a resolution to change where a $2 crime-stoppers assessment on certain tickets is forwarded, redirecting those funds from the local crime-stoppers organization to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) crime-stoppers program.
City Attorney Nick Manley explained the change as a redirection of the existing $2 assessment: “This assessment will still be there for $2 that will go to the crime stoppers,” he said, but the money will go to a different crime-stoppers organization administered through DPS so that the city can remain part of a broader program while the city evaluates options.
During discussion, an alderman asked whether the city was receiving value from the current local arrangement, observing that the local version did not appear to be generating many calls or tips. Board members discussed the possibility of forming a countywide or nonprofit-run crime-stoppers group in the future, and Manley said a nonprofit model would be outside the city’s direct authority and subject to separate review.
The board moved, seconded and approved the resolution by roll call. The change will keep the $2 assessment in place but route the funds to the DPS-administered crime-stoppers program rather than the local entity while the city and county review options for a regional or nonprofit structure.
The resolution does not abolish the assessment and does not specify a timetable for creating a new local nonprofit. City staff said further review could occur in more detailed sessions that may include executive-session discussion of related operational details.
