Ellington

One of the keystones of Gov. Phil Bryant's legislative agenda passed a hurdle as Judiciary B Committee of the Mississippi State Senate approved a bill to create a system of statewide violent-crime strike forces.

Bryant, who has made public safety his top legislative priority this year, first announced the plan in his executive budget recommendation in December.

The House Judiciary B Committee passed its version of the strike-force bill, which committee Chairman Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, sponsored on Jan. 29. Their Senate counterparts followed on Thursday, but not without several lawmakers raising a few pointed questions.

"Why is this even needed?" Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, asked of SB 2774.

Simmons pointed out that multi-jurisdictional task forces consisting of local, state and federal officials are common, and he wondered why another expensive layer of law enforcement is necessary.

Bryant has said the strike forces would assist local and state law enforcement officials by deploying to high-crime and gang areas. The plan involves spending $1.5 million per year for three teams, broken up into northern, central and southern districts, which would operate under the supervision of the state attorney general. Each district would also have a commander, appointed by Bryant and Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat.

The teams would have 12 to 15 members each; no member could earn more than $15,000 in overtime pay per year, the legislation states.

Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, had a similar concern about adding another layer of law enforcement. Wiggins offered an amendment so that the strike force could also benefit from seizures. Currently, seizures of cash and property purchased with cash made illegally represent a valuable revenue stream for law enforcement organizations.

Wiggins' amendment was successful, and the bill passed by unanimous voice vote out of committee.