Old-fashioned police work welcome in Ocean Springs
This would be some good old-fashioned police work.
Ocean Springs is considering adding an officer to walk a beat in downtown Ocean Springs at night. Actually, the idea is to have the officer highly visible whether on foot, a Segway or a bicycle.
It’s a good idea.
“The public feels safer when they see a uniformed police officer, a consistent presence, in that area,” Alderman Matt McDonell said when he pitched the idea to the Board of Aldermen this week.
We agree.
Nothing deters crime like a police presence. And, as Aldermen John Gill said, the shops downtown carry some fairly high-end items and having a police officer always in the vicinity when stores are closed will have burglars thinking twice before trying to snatch the expensive merchandise.
And visibility has the added benefit of establishing a connection between the police and the people they serve. It’s a technique that has succeeded in bringing a sense of safety to downtowns from Chicago to Macon, Georgia.
The downtown area is integral to Ocean Springs’ character, and we’re glad city leaders are taking a proactive approach to keep it appealing.
Unfortunately, homeless people are part of the problem downtown and though a police presence will probably dissuade most homeless from being around, we hope that doesn’t become the focus of this effort.
Every city on the Coast has a homeless population and chasing the people from one city to another will not change that. The Coast’s cities have to work together to help these people, not just run them off to a neighboring city.
If homeless people are committing crimes, that’s another matter and one the increased police presence should go a long way to solving.
And having a police officer downtown at night should make those who visit the city’s vibrant nightclub scene feel safer.
We trust the city to turn this into a win for everyone.
The editorial represents the views of the Sun Herald editorial board. Opinions of columnists and cartoonists are their own.
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Old-fashioned police work welcome in Ocean Springs."