By John Howell Sr.
Batesville, Como and Sardis police officers will on Jan. 1 assume responsibility for investigation and traffic control at accidents on portions of I-55 that fall within their corporate limits.
Como Police Chief Earl Burdette told the town’s board of mayor and aldermen about the policy change at their monthly meeting Tuesday night.

Batesville Police Chief Tony Jones said that he will inform Batesville’s city board at their Dec. 17 meeting. Jones said that he had already discussed the change with Mayor Jerry Autrey.
“We’re going to have to do it after the first of the year,” Burdette told Como’s mayor and aldermen. “Como has the city limits part of it.”

“Every town is doing it,” Burdette continued. “Sardis has a portion of it on their part of the interstate.”

In Batesville, I-55 lies within city limits from the Eureka Road bridge north almost to the Tallahatchie River — about six miles, Jones said.
 
In Como, corporate limits extend only to the west side of the I-55/Hwy. 310 overpass and only for about one-fourth mile along the west side of the overpass. However, Burdette said, Como officers could be required to handle an accident that occurs on the bridge.

Sardis’ corporate limits include about one-half mile of interstate with the I-55/Hwy. 315 exchange at its center.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol will provide training to prepare municipal officers for the investigation and traffic control on the interstate, Burdette told Como officials.

Burdette and Jones cited language from the Mississippi Code of 1972 that states, “it shall be the duty of each municipality to investigate all accidents … within the corporate limits of the municipality.”

“There’s been no policy change, if it’s in their city limits, it’s always been theirs to work,” MHP Corporal Joey Miller stated.

“We’ve just always done it because we were able to help but our manpower is so low we just can’t anymore,” Miller continued.

The MHP spokesman said that Southaven and Hernando have handled its their portions of interstate for at least two years and that Senatobia has taken over its section. On Highway 78, Olive Branch and Holly Springs police have worked their sections of that federal highway, Miller said.

 “We’ve just assisted when they need it, but other than that, we don’t go up on the interstate,” Chief Jones said.

“What really concerns me,” Jones continued, “is a wreck on the interstate is high speed and, too, a wreck late at night with four officers on duty — it can last for hours on end.”

Batesville Mayor Autrey said Wednesday that he had requested the Mississippi Department of Transportation to place signs marking Batesville’s city limits on I-55.

He said that he had also requested construction of turn-arounds between the northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate at the city limits with reflective markers so that officers could easily locate the turn-arounds in darkness.

Panola County Sheriff Department Chief Deputy Chris Franklin said that county officers have not been requested to handle traffic control and investigation of interstate accidents outside corporate limits. Those wrecks will still be handled by state troopers, Franklin said.

“That’s going to be a big expense and a big liability,” Sheriff Dennis Darby said, noting the two busy I-55 intersections within Batesville city limits on I-55.

“We assist everybody,” Darby said.

He said that deputies provide help anywhere in the county when needed and available.
Language in the 1972 law that places responsibility for accident investigation on federal highways within corporate limits also authorizes city police to make traffic stops for other reasons. However, use of radar on federal highways by city police is prohibited.