STARKVILLE – New security measures will take effect this weekend in the Cotton District following an out-of-control crowd, a shooting and more than two dozen arrests during Super Bulldog Weekend.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said the changes, which will control access to the area, are a “measured and reasonable” response to last weekend’s events.
“The goal is to make sure that the people who are coming … into The District … are as safe as possible and (the Cotton District) does not offer an opportunity for those who wish to do criminal activities a place to exercise that behavior,” she told The Dispatch on Tuesday.
Beginning Friday, Starkville Police Department will establish a secured perimeter around the district from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays with five controlled entry points staffed by officers and security personnel. Backpacks and outside alcoholic beverages will be prohibited. Everyone entering must present a valid ID, and no one under the age of 18 will be permitted entry.
Attendees will receive wristbands at entry points, and anyone inside the district without one will be required to leave and re-enter through a designated access point.
Police Chief Mark Ballard said the changes aim to improve safety and prevent weapons from being brought into the district.
“We think that this will significantly help us with our crowd management issues, and it will go a long way in deterring those that have ill intent from coming into the district,” he told The Dispatch on Tuesday. “… It’s going to allow officers to be freed up … be more proactive and do what they’re designed to do by going out and making arrests and enforcing the laws that we’ve been way, way too reactionary on for basic crowd management.”
Entry points will be placed along University Drive near Bin 612 and The Landing, on Maxwell Street between University Drive and Cotton Row, on Adkerson Way near The Vista and Arepas and potentially on Page Avenue, depending on crowd size. Vehicle traffic will not be allowed through the area while the perimeter is in place.
An ‘extremely excessive’ crowd
Ballard said planning for managed access began months ago as officers observed growing crowds and more crowd-related arrests during game-day weekends starting in August.
The department planned to increase its presence in the district through June and implement the perimeter in July. However, an April 25 shooting that left one person hospitalized accelerated that timeline.
The shooting occurred Saturday shortly before midnight Saturday after thousands gathered in the Cotton District during Super Bulldog Weekend. Ballard described the late-night crowd in the Cotton District as an “extremely excessive” and “one of the largest crowds for an uncoordinated, unplanned event” he has seen.
Officers made 26 “crowd-related arrests” concentrated in the Cotton District primarily for fights, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and trespassing.
“The same district, if you look at our department, has managed high, high-volume numbers of crowds for a very long time without experiencing this type of violence where a gun is used in a crime,” Ballard said. “… When you deal with large crowds in your entertainment areas, you’re going to have your fights, things of that nature. That’s something not unusual.”
Ballard said the department typically anticipates crowd sizes for high-volume events and staffs accordingly, but Saturday’s turnout caught them “by surprise.”
Initial staffing included between eight and 10 security personnel and roughly the same number of officers. As the crowd grew, the department added 10 to 15 more officers before requesting assistance from Mississippi State University Police and Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office.
Ballard also noted that a growing share of attendees during high-volume weekends at the district are a regional crowd not affiliated with the university, complicating efforts to predict crowd size.
Social media response
The incident also drew criticism on social media platform X after Spruill responded to multiple users about the shooting and later posted, “Y’all keep talking among yourselves, I’m going to concentrate on this baseball game,” referencing MSU’s series finale against LSU at Dudy Noble Stadium. “I’ll check back later to see if there is anything worth responding to.”
Users fled to the comments criticizing Spruill’s response as dismissive. Spruill told The Dispatch she provided factual responses to multiple inquiries and chose not to engage further with what she described as unproductive and insulting remarks.
“I did respond to the ones that were concerned, told them what we were doing and that we were looking at it. And so from that perspective, I have continued to try to be responsive in a factual way,” she said. “… And it was a fact. I was at the game, and there wasn’t anything further I was going to do at that time until I had further information.
“… I’m always concerned about safety throughout the town,” she added. “… This is not something we’ve seen in the past to the extent that we’re seeing it now, which is why we’re now taking additional action.”
Ballard said the Cotton District remains an “extremely safe” area under normal conditions.
“Unfortunately, Saturday night was not a good look, but it’s not a fair look for the area and for the efforts that were being made,” he said. “… We are committed to public safety … and make no mistake about it, moving forward, we are fully prepared to put whatever resources are needed to make sure that the managed-access areas are efficient and effective, and that our community, our students (and) our citizens’ safety is our highest priority – always has been, and always will be.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
