BEGINNING JULY 1, The Mississippi Highway Patrol can use radar to detect speeders on an interstate highway in any city in the state that has a population of 15,000 or more.
The current law prohibits the Mississippi Highway Patrol from operating radar in the city limits of any city with more than 15,000 people, said District 26 Sen. David Blount, the principal author of the bill that the governor signed into law to remove that prohibition.
The new law also provides that the Highway Patrol should be immediately notified by municipal law offices of any roadblocks or emergencies occurring on any federally designated, limited access highways within the corporate limits. The bill was introduced partly in response to a New Year’s Night street racing incident that blocked part of I-55 for at least an hour, but that’s not the only reason, Blount said.
“That incident certainly highlighted it,” he said, “but it’s bigger than one incident. Speeding, reckless driving, noisy motorcycles. They’re a growing problem.”
Joining with Blount on the bill were District 25 Sen. J. Walter Michel District 26 Sen. John Horhn, District 27 Sen. Hillman Frazier, District 28 Sen. Sollie B. Norwood and District 11 Sen. Robert L. Jackson.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba supported the bill, and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety contributed to it, Blount said. The new law should help make Mississippi highways safer, Blount said.
“The new law doesn’t take anything away from the Jackson Police Department but will provide extra help,” he said, “and we welcome the help.”
