Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
July 7th, 2022
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
July 7th, 2022

Open eyes, open minds.

  • Opinions
  • Dispatch Editorials

Our View: Workshop fosters cooperation, more effective law enforcement

By Dispatch Editorial Board • May 31, 2017

This week, 40 law enforcement officers, mostly from the Golden Triangle, are meeting on the Mississippi State campus to sharpen their interviewing and investigating skills.

That, in itself, would commendable. We are encouraged our law enforcement agencies are taking these steps to improve their skills, which makes them better at the important work they do on behalf of all citizens.

We are further pleased to note that the District Attorney’s office is footing the bill for this training. DA Scott Colom has provided the funds for the three-day conference to the tune of $5,500.

While everyone understands that law enforcement and prosecutors are part of the same process, too often there is a sense the two groups work independently of each other, sort of a conveyor-built system of criminal justice where the D.A.’s office simply takes what is provided by law enforcement and proceeds with its role in the system.

But our justice system works best when law enforcement and prosecutors are invested in each other’s work. This week’s conference is evidence this collaborative approach to justice is something both parties are embracing.

In a sense, law enforcement provides the raw materials of our justice system and the success of the court system relies, to a great extent, on the quality of the material provided them. In some cases, that might mean a criminal is more likely to be held accountable for his crime. In others, it might mean a suspect, wrongfully accused, sees the justice system works as intended. When a person is wrongfully prosecuted, justice is harmed twice: The innocent are punished while the guilty go free.

We believe efforts to help law enforcement improve their basic investigative techniques is one of the best ways of ensuring our justice system is fair and effective.

We commend Colom’s office for providing the funds for this training as we commend law enforcement for viewing this training not as an effort by the D.A. to tell officers how to do their jobs, but as a genuine effort to make the entire system better.

It is a win not only for these two groups, but for all citizens who rely on our justice system.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

Popular

Community Profile: Man and his tractor keep each other going

By Caroline Beach

Damms: Once a catalyst for its disorder, the transfer portal has helped breathe new life into Mississippi State women’s basketball

By Colin Damms

Letter: Oktibbeha supervisor Howard should step down

By George Sills

Mississippi justices block more DNA tests in death row case

By Emily Wagster Pettus/The Associated Press


Public Information Links

  • City of Columbus
  • Lowndes County
  • City of Starkville
  • Oktibbeha County
  • City of West Point
  • Clay County
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
  • MS Dept of Health Restaurant Inspections


On This Day 2021

Tanner Allen gives back to Mississippi State with NIL trading cards, T-shirts

By Theo DeRosa

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Dispatch

Contact Us

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2022 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT