Since Pierre Beard was first elected in 2019, the Ward 4 councilman has been a lot of things.
One of them is predictably unpredictable.
Beard spent part of the past weekend in the Pickens County, Alabama, jail for driving under the influence, as well as possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and illegal alcohol. It’s his second arrest and fourth known run-in with the law in the past three years.
In January 2021, Beard publicly apologized after receiving a citation on a traffic stop for having a misdemeanor amount of marijuana. He was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over for speeding.
Later that same year, Beard was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after he allegedly pointed a gun at his wife during an argument and fired it into the air. That charge was dismissed in justice court after the victim did not show up to testify.
In June of this year, Beard was caught on surveillance footage outside the Waffle House interacting with a man who allegedly robbed two victims at gunpoint. Police later arrested the suspect as he was entering a hotel room booked in Beard’s name. The councilman’s involvement in that case is expected to go before a grand jury.
In these instances, Beard’s pattern of unpredictability isn’t so good.
There’s an old church saying that goes, “Get right or get left.” In the case of Beard’s political career, since Mississippi has no recall process and the law offers almost no path for removing a public official from office, that adage wouldn’t apply until voters get another crack at the councilman in 2025.
To his credit, as a councilman, Beard is accessible and responsive to his constituents through traditional and social media, and he often seems the most willing council member to change his mind in the face of new information. He often poses relevant questions about consequential decisions and isn’t afraid to be an independent voice, frequently making measured and reasoned points.
If Beard truly cares about his constituents and the city of Columbus, though, another saying rings appropriate to the choice he needs to make: Shape up or ship out.
Enough is enough.
The parade of mugshots and investigations splayed across the media are an embarrassment. They encourage the unwelcome, unfair stereotype of Columbus as rife with corruption that goes all the way to the top.
Beard needs to choose whom he intends to serve: either the citizens or whatever forces lead him to jail cells and courtrooms. It can’t be both. The citizens deserve better.
So, Councilman Beard, either do better or resign.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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