MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Southaven Mayor, Darren Musselwhite, plans to fight crime crossing the state line from Memphis to Mississippi.
He says he has had enough of seeing Memphians come to his town to commit crimes.
“If you think you’re gonna come down here and kick in glass at retail centers and burglarize these cars and then just run back to Memphis thinking that we won’t chase you – we are about to change that for you,” Mayor Musselwhite said.
Some Southaven residents are saying they are “scared” and agree with Musselwhite when it comes to crime.
“This is what I am saying the crime is coming to Southaven,” one Southaven resident said. “It makes me feel scared that a lot of people are coming – criminals are coming from Memphis but I can say this, Southaven police will be on them like white on rice.”
“Our police do an incredible job but we do see things here that we didn’t see five years ago,” Mayor Musselwhite said. “I am going to be a proactive guy like I have been with every issue in this city. So, it’s time to do something about it.”
Mayor Musselwhite says he is going to boost the police budget from $11 million to more than $19 million, as part of Operation Close the Door.
“This specific initiative is adding more police force on the state line,” Mayor Musselwhite said. “So, like I said we have eleven north-south roads. So, it’s going to be an increased officer presence there. They know we don’t want to chase. At this point, if you want to run we are going to be at the state line waiting for you.”
The police budget will go into effect on October 1 but Mayor Musselwhite says the community will see the difference sooner than that.
