Note: The county board this week did issue a warning on the trail ride issue.
If trail ride organizers do not want their events to carry a reputation for being hotbeds of lawlessness, they should first make sure that they adhere to local permitting laws.
And local governments would do well to enforce their own laws regarding these events.
In the past, we have generally supported the trendy ATV-centered events that often take place in rural areas and sometimes draw thousands of people.
Some county officials two years ago were ready to ban trail rides outright and later settled for a new ordinance governing these massive draws.
Two weeks ago, a trail ride organizer was a few days away from showtime when the group was informed that they had not adhered to the county ordinance and obtained a permit in a timely manner.
Keep in mind that a lot of preparation by local governments goes into managing trail rides.
The sheriff’s department, municipal law enforcement, ambulance services, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and others must be informed and must agree to be available to monitor and help out at these events.
Sheriff James Haywood apparently served notice to the organizers, who were told to cease and desist from having their party.
They had it anyway.
Thousands of people descended on a property outside of Ruleville.
Thankfully, there were no violent incidents and few injuries reported.
When the organizers appeared before the county board last week, they apologized and vowed to work with officials for their June 7 event.
The county board, as some might say, gave them a good talking to, but they imposed zero penalties.
“Just don’t do it again,” was the message.
The board did not even research its ordinance to see what penalties it might impose if it so desired.
The offense was waved off, and the organizers are supposed to be working with code enforcers and law enforcement on the June trail ride.
We have nothing against groups and organizations hosting events to boost quality of life and the local economy, but if the county merely delivers a slap to the wrist of such blatant offenses, it will be hard pressed to enforce any laws, particularly ones that involved permits, going forward.
The City of Indianola is currently in a mess when it comes to rampant pit bull ownership, mainly because the city went years without enforcing its pit bull ban.
Now, it’s proving very difficult for law enforcement to handle the removal of pit bulls from people’s homes.
The city also consistently has trouble ridding itself of blighted properties because its board lacks the political will to adjudicate problem areas.
We all enjoy living in a community where law enforcement is not as strict as other towns and counties, but at some point, the law must be followed with a healthy mix of firmness and forbearance.
This starts with our elected boards, setting an example and realistic expectations for our police and code enforcers and backing those employees up when they do their jobs.
