Supervisors approve app for Sheriff

A new mobile app for the Sheriff’s Department that will help fight crime will be accessible to the public within 60 to 90 days following approval by the Board of Supervisors on Monday. 

Branded as the Sheriff’s App, the technology offers citizens access to the sex offender registry, information on wanted criminals, resources for crime victims, a platform for submitting crime tips, and more. 

The approval for the app's first and second years comes after months of discussions, with the first year funded by leftover monies exceeding $11,000 from the Ally Telecom Grant, along with several donations to the Sheriff’s Department. 

The payment plan for the second year for $5,295 is still under discussion, with the board and Sheriff seeking the Attorney General’s opinion in the coming months.

Sheriff Eric Clark suggested spending funds generated from the inmate commissary during the first year, which has already been adopted by several other law enforcement agencies. If this method conflicts with state laws, alternative funding could be allocated within the Sheriff’s budget for the following year, Clark said.

The app will allow the Sheriff’s Department to send push notifications about road closures, accidents, and weather alerts. Users can also register complaints or compliments regarding their interactions with deputies.

The app will also feature access to the county jail’s inmate roster, allowing users to schedule visitations and contribute commissary funds for inmates, and would establish a voluntary registry for home and business owners with security cameras in Neshoba County providing the Sheriff’s Office with contacts who may possess footage relevant to crimes, suspicious vehicles, or suspects.

In other action, supervisors voted to:

• Approve removing an HP Printer from the Sheriff’s Department item list;

• Approve the February Daily Meal Log, Detailed Billing report, and inmate meals invoice from Neshoba General for $45, 946;

• Approve hiring Carson Dewberry with Road Department at $13 an hour, and approve hiring Robert Graham as CDL driver at $15 an hour effective March 22;

• Approve a reverse auction bid for a Road Department mini-excavator and approved lease-purchase financial proposals for a CAT 310 mini-excavator;

• Approve a bid for the sale of a CAT 307.5 mini-excavator to Puckett Machinery for $60,000;

• Approve a permit application from Freeny Water Association to allow for a road bore along Road 404;

• Approve permit applications from MaxxSouth Broadband to allow for a road bore along the right- of-way and crossing of Road 505 and Road 561;

• Approve a construction change directive totaling $2,093 for the Storage Building project with additional electrical wire for a body cooler;

• Approve appointing Paul Tingle, Kenny Bates, Wyatt Waddell, Becky Hall, and Denise Tingle as new board members for the Fairview Volunteer Fire Protection District. They will serve in staggered terms of one to five years;

• Approve reissuing a voided check from Suzy Q to Johnie Osbourne for $150 for a constable decal;

• Approved advertising for Miss Hospitality Alice Keats with a full-page ad in the state program totaling $350.

• Approve a request to partner with Kevin Baysinger to have April designated as Neshoba County Clean Up Month. This will be the 2nd annual Great Neshoba Cleanup event and will occur every Saturday in April from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.