PRESS RELEASE
A Lauderdale County Grand Jury recommends increasing pay for law enforcement and detention facility staff, as well as further investment in video technology to help in investigations.
The Grand Jury met for three days this week returning 136 bills of indictment and declining to indict in
29 cases. An additional two cases were continued for further investigation and will be presented to a
future grand jury.
In its report, the Grand Jury said it recommends all law enforcement be equipped with body cameras
and vehicle dash cameras, as well as increasing the number of surveillance cameras throughout the
community. The additional cameras should be placed in high-crime areas as both a deterrent for future
crime and a tool for law enforcement investigations.
Pay for both detention facility staff and law enforcement should also be increased, the Grand Jury
recommends. Raising pay will help both in recruiting and retaining competent officers, it said.
As with previous Grand Juries, this Grand Jury toured the Lauderdale County Detention Facility and,
while finding it clean and in good order, called for county officials to explore building a new place to
house county detainees outside of downtown Meridian.
