Sheriff receives $2,500 donation

WoodmenLife of Mississippi honored the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department with a $2,500 donation recently.

The check was presented to Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark by WoodmenLife of Mississippi’s Judicial President and Chapter 330 President James Kirkland, and by Neshoba County’s longtime WoodmanLife representative Sherrill Breazeale.  

The Sheriff’s Department will use the donation to bring in larger caliber ballistic panels for tactical vests. This type of equipment is a necessity for making sure officers are safer in barricade situations or in active shooter environments.  

“You’ve got to have a larger-than-handgun caliber ballistic carrier, or you are already behind in the fight,” Clark said.  “These ceramic carriers go over our vests and give us an added layer of threat protection.”

With some armed assailants having access to rifles, the Sheriff’s Department wants to do everything they can to help stop an attack if the situation arises, Clark said.

Since Sheriff Clark took over, the department has made 836 drug arrests, 352 DUI arrests, and over 200 grand larceny arrests. 

The Sheriff’s Department has also updated its policy manual and was able to afford body cameras for officers, thanks to a grant by Weyerhaeuser and a donation by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

“We’ve had several local entities donate to the Sheriff’s Office and we’ve always been transparent on what we spend these monies on,” said Clark. “These donations help us afford equipment outside the normal budget range that may save a life or help an officer go home at the end of the day.”

“Donations for these officers have a huge impact with what goes on in Neshoba County and many people do not know the amount of protective measures the Sheriff’s Department takes to prevent crime across the County,” Clark said.