Chief Reports Multiple Agencies Assist With 11-Hour Saturation
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WATER VALLEY – A weekend saturation in the city resulted in 27 citations, four arrests and numerous warnings. Water Valley Police Chief Jason Mangrum reported his department was assisted by the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Department of Corrections in the saturation detail that started at 1 p.m. Friday afternoon and continued until 2 a.m. Saturday morning.
Mangrum reported Kenneth Reeves, 47, of Oakland was arrested for possession of methamphetamine; and Robert Patterson, 42, of Bruce was arrested for DUI. Other arrests stemmed from civil contempt warrants from Water Valley municipal court. The chief said that the effort included simultaneous safety checkpoints in different areas of the city as 20-plus law enforcement officers assisted. He also said the locations of the checkpoints were changed frequently as people shared information about them on social media.
“Maintaining safe roads and drug enforcement are always a priority and this weekend detail was another way to help with this effort,” Mangrum explained. “We appreciate the patience of the citizens in Water Valley who may have experienced minor delays at road blocks during this detail.”
Mangrum also noted that encountering only one impaired driver during the 11-hour detail was good news for law enforcement officers. He said that some of the citations were issued for expired driver’s licenses, insurance or license tags.
“Typically warnings were issued for tags and driver’s license if they had been expired for less than a month. We wanted to use this opportunity as a reminder for motorists,” the chief explained. “And we heard every excuse under the sun.”
The chief expressed gratitude for the partner agencies who helped increase law enforcement presence during the detail and for the strong effort by dispatchers.
“The dispatchers did a great job, the volume of radio traffic from 20-plus officers can be overwhelming,” Mangrum explained.
He reported the city typically has three or four saturations annually to help ensure the roadways are safe.
In other law enforcement news, Brittany Jackson was arrested Monday night on an arrest warrant for passing a fake currency. Mangrum reported Jackson allegedly handed a store clerk a $100 bill that looked authentic, but was labeled as “prop money.” The fake money is legal to purchase and labeled for use in movie productions.
Mangrum explained that Jackson was acting suspicious and hastily left the store after receiving change as the clerk examined the bogus bill. Jackson was identified from footage recorded on the store’s security camera and a warrant was issued for her arrest. If convicted, she faces a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in the county jail, plus restitution to the store.
The chief explained that it is not illegal to possess the prop money.
“This is not technically counterfeit because the bill is clearly labeled ‘for picture purposes only’ but it becomes a crime when the bill is presented as real currency,” Mangrum added. The chief noted that it is always a good idea to check $20 and $100 bills if you receive them from the bank or a store.
