Magnolia officials on Tuesday accepted a proposal boosting police pay.
After several months of requests to hire new officers at higher pay rates and studying the town budget, aldermen approved a starting rate of $15 per hour for full-time police officers and $13 per hour for part-time officers.
The board immediately made good on the new rates by hiring former McComb officer and Pike County deputy Scotty Prine at the $15 rate.
Prine said he had been working offshore, but he wanted to return to law enforcement.
“I went and chased the money for a while, but I’m this is my passion, and I’m ready to get back into it,” Prine told the board.
He said he especially wanted to support the children of Magnolia and help keep them safe.
“I like that. I’m glad to hear that,” Alderman Clarence Burton said.
Police Chief Sonya Woodall noted how difficult the prior week had been for law enforcement in Pike County, including in Magnolia, where a man was shot and killed at an apartment complex.
She said the suspected culprit was arrested in two hours, as Magnolia police were aided by other area law enforcement agencies.
“I just had to make one phone call, and help came running,” Woodall said. “The sheriff’s department came, McComb was here to help ... I looked up, and there was Walthall County.”
The shooting death was the most serious crime the police department addressed in February, but was one of 189 incidents Woodall reported to the board from the previous month.
Also included in the list were 32 disturbances, 26 traffic stops and 10 animal complaints, as well as 33 responses to alarms and 26 police escorts.
Fire Chief Terrell Bell reported a busy month as well, highlighted by 22 grass fires either in the city’s jurisdiction or responded to by the town’s department in mutual aid to other departments.
