The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued twice as many citations for its 2018 Fourth of July Enforcement Period as 2017, but don’t chalk it up to people driving crazier.
With 4,594 citations in 2018 compared to 2,217 in 2017, MHP Capt. Johnny Poulous attributed the increase to more troopers patrolling Mississippi highways.
More troopers meant more visibility and 41 fewer crashes than 2017, according to a Department of Public Safety press release.
In southwest Mississippi, Troop M more than doubled its citations with 224 and only one accident, spokesman Cpl. Brandon Fortenberry said.
Troop M added seven new troopers from the latest academy class, increasing its manpower by 50 percent overnight in its nine-county region.
Capt. Chris Williams said more manpower let troopers prevent more accidents and respond to fewer.
“It allows us to be more proactive instead of reactive,” Williams said. “We can set up details assigned to the main thoroughfares and put more power on our secondary roads.
“For our troop, that’s I-55, U.S. 51, U.S. 84, U.S. 61 and U.S. 98. It allows us to put more manpower on secondary roads like Highway 24, Higwhay 48 and other state highways,” he said.
Troop M handled no fatality accidents in its enforcement period.
Williams said he hopes Troop M will see more troopers to make the agency more visible on highways in the region.
“We just need more manpower,” Wiliams said. “The area we’re responsible for, you’re stretching limited resources.
“Any time you get more resources you’ll get better results.”
The next major travel holiday is Labor Day on Sept. 3.
