Your Clarksdale Press Register has repeatedly asked city officials to clean up property in Clarksdale and we are proud to say we have watched the city embark on a plan to rid the community of junk cars, burned-out houses and overgrown yards.
This newspaper now asks the city to turn its attention to clear downtown of vagrants, pan-handlers and drunks.
Just like grass in the spring, summer weather has brought the homeless and mentally ill to downtown Clarksdale. The Board of Mayor and Commissioners were told recently that some of these people arrived recently on a bus from parts unknown. Several years ago our Mayor sent vagrants and petty criminal to other communities and now they are doing it to us.
This newspaper and community are not so cold that we want some kind of police sweep of our streets with officers hauling them off to the county jail.
This is the South and we ask for something a little more subtle and polite.
We ask that when downtown businesses call, police make a report. We ask callers to give a description of the person causing the problem and where it occurred. We ask those reports be cataloged and filed so authorities can get a handle on who is causing trouble and who needs help.
Clarksdale has a wide variety of government agencies with resources to help the homeless, the mentally ill, the hungry and people who want a job and the money it brings.
Those who vomit on city sidewalks, use the bathroom in our alleys, accost tourist walking our streets and beg from those trying to enjoy a meal at a table outside do need to be warned and reminded of city rules. Those who don’t follow the rules need to be taken to jail where the rules are enforced.
Vagrancy is a crime in this town and a quick check of city ordinances shows those who are idle, wandering and don’t have gainful employment or permanent address can be charged.
Those same city ordinances say those drinking in broad daylight and who appear to be intoxicated can be picked up by police for a sobriety test. If they fail it, they go to jail.
Those who are loud, obnoxious and who make it difficult for downtown merchants to conduct business can be charged with disturbing the peace.
We are proud of downtown Clarksdale and we want the world to come here and enjoy the culture, cuisine and casual lifestyle that makes the Mississippi Delta one of the greatest places on Earth.
Let’s take a little pride in our town and firmly ask others to do the same.
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