Police Chief Ron Sampson and all of the officers of the Yazoo City Police Department deserve many thanks for their recent efforts to clean up our city.
A recent operation helped take a lot of drugs and weapons off of our streets and exposed the illegal activities that were openly taking place inside of some of this city’s establishments. It shows what our officers are up against that some of the owners of some of these establishments felt comfortable with illegal gambling and drug use taking place in plain sight inside their doors.
There are some Yazooans who say that illegal activities inside clubs aren’t really that big of a deal. It’s just people trying to have a good time, and all these laws are keeping them from experiencing their maximum level of enjoyment. Why should there be any limitations to the festivities if no one is getting hurt?
Those people have selective memories. They seem to have forgotten the murders that have taken place after incidents that began at local establishments, often after legal operating hours.
Among the items recovered during the recent raid were guns, and some were stolen. Convicted felons were arrested in possession of firearms. There was even one suspect arrested with an AK-47 in the parking lot of a club.
Guns, drinking, drugs and illegal gambling are a recipe for violence.
Additionally many of these areas are a major nuisance to law abiding citizens. Anyone trying to pass through the lower end of Broadway late on a Saturday night has experienced the chaos.
The Yazoo City Police Department was wise to call in help from other agencies, and we are grateful to those agencies for being willing to help.
Sampson said the recent effort was just the start, and there will be more to come. We want Chief Sampson and all of our officers to know that they have our support, and we pray for their safety as they do the difficult job of trying to make our city a safer place for us all.
