Labor Day weekend is known to many as the “last hurrah” of the summer, and law enforcement officials have beefed up their visibility leading up to the three-day weekend.
Area law enforcement officers are gearing up for the three-day weekend that will go through September 6 at midnight.
In the past, troopers have called the Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends the deadliest holidays of the year.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol will begin the 2021 Labor Day Travel Enforcement Period at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, and conclude Monday, Sept. 6 at midnight.
In an effort to enforce traffic laws and reduce traffic crashes, MHP will participate in Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over during the holiday period.
As part of the campaign, all available troopers will be assigned to saturation patrols to combat speeding and distracted driving issues. MHP also wants to remind drivers that bad decisions behind the wheel regarding impaired driving can result in serious consequences.
“We’re hoping all motorists and families will enjoy the last holiday weekend of the summer,” said Ronnie Shive, with MHP’s Troop D. “We want everyone to arrive at their destinations safely.”
Grenada is served by Troop D of the highway patrol, headquartered in Greenwood.
In order to remove impaired drivers and promote seatbelt usage, safety checkpoints will be established throughout the holiday period.
Grenada Police Chief George Douglas said the police department has increased patrol and citizens should expect a heavy law presence over the weekend.
“We plan to have safety checkpoints to deter intoxicated driving and prevent motor vehicle crashes,” Douglas said. “Our focus this weekend is strictly vehicle safety and we thank everyone for their support and patience during this project.”
For Steven Rosamond, the DUI enforcement officer with GPD cautioning people not to drink and drive is the focal point.
“I’ll be out and about patrolling heavy,” Rosamond said. “We know people are going to get out and have a good time, but think about it before drinking and driving because we will be out here. It’s not about writing tickets, it’s about saving lives.”
Officers and deputies also remind parents to have children buckled up in the appropriate child restraint.
In Mississippi, child restraint laws require children under the age of four to be in a child restraint seat. For those ages four to six and under 4-feet-9 and 65 pounds, they must sit in a booster seat.
In 2020, state troopers investigated three deaths during the Labor Day enforcement period, including a crash that claimed the lives of two people.
Throughout the three-day holiday weekend, MHP issued 8,559 citations which included 216 DUI arrests, 520 seat belt citations and 121 child restraint citations. Troopers investigated 131 wrecks, which included 44 injuries and three fatalities on state highways.
