Indianola aldermen tabled a proposed memorandum of understanding for a regional Delta law-enforcement task force Monday night after extended debate over liability, officer pay and legal protections for officers working outside their home jurisdictions.
Police Chief Ronald Sampson asked the mayor and Board of Aldermen to approve the agreement, saying the multi-city task force with departments in Greenville, Greenwood, Leland and other Delta municipalities would allow agencies to pool officers to address violent crime, large events and “hot spots” across city lines. He said Greenville, Greenwood and Leland have already signed off on the plan and that other Delta cities are considering participation.
“This is a solid venture for all involved,” Sampson told the board, adding that agencies would be able to “go from place to place” to respond where manpower is needed without extra cost to the host city. He said the partnership would give Indianola access to additional officers during festivals, parades and emergencies while allowing the city to send its own officers to assist neighboring jurisdictions facing similar pressures.
City Attorney Mack Arthur Turner said he agreed with the concept of the task force but urged changes to the draft memorandum before any vote. Turner told aldermen his major concern is liability if an Indianola officer is involved in an incident that injures someone while working in another city, or if an outside officer is involved in a use-of-force encounter while assisting in Indianola.
“The more specific you are, the more protection you have,” Turner said, warning that vague language could expose Indianola to lawsuits that name every agency involved in the task force. He said any lawsuit stemming from an officer-involved incident typically names multiple parties, not just the individual officer, and he wants clear language to ensure that an outside officer’s actions in Indianola do not create open-ended exposure for the city and that Indianola officers are fully protected when they travel into other jurisdictions.
Turner also pointed to language stating that Indianola would be responsible for paying its officers while they assist other cities. He asked how compensation would work when an officer is assigned to normal duties in Indianola but then deploys to Greenwood or another town under the task force, and whether Indianola taxpayers would effectively be subsidizing manpower for other jurisdictions.
Turner noted that the draft allows any city to terminate its participation at any time by giving written notice, which he called a positive safeguard. Still, he urged revisions to address generalities in the document and suggested adding explicit liability clauses stating that Indianola would not be responsible for acts beyond its control.
Aldermen also discussed how the task force could help track suspects who move between Delta cities and share information on vehicle descriptions, suspect identities and criminal patterns. Sampson said offenders often commit crimes in one town and quickly relocate to another nearby city such as Greenville, Greenwood or Cleveland, and that a standing task force would allow departments to act on shared intelligence rather than starting from scratch in each case.
After the discussion, Mayor Kenneth Featherstone said he supported the concept but agreed that the city attorney should revise the memorandum and consult with other municipal attorneys before the board votes. Aldermen then voted unanimously to table the item, with the expectation it will return either at a special called meeting or at the board’s next regular session once legal concerns are addressed.
