Neosho Police Dept. to pursue DWI grant

Neosho, MO

The Neosho Police Department was given the green light to seek two grants for hazardous moving violation and DWI enforcement.

Neosho Police Chief Dave McCracken said the grants total about $8,600 and come from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

“What these are used for is to pay overtime costs for surveillance in high accident locations and for DWI enforcement,” McCracken said. “We use our in-house computer system to determine high accident locations and where the majority of these hazardous violations are occurring and post officers in these locations on the days of the week and the times these occur. The officer is freed up from calls for service to work these problem areas.”

The programs have been funded since 1994, the police chief said.

In other business, the council adopted on second and third readings a measure to regulate and identify security guards, security service providers and private investigators in the city limits to ensure they have proper qualifications and financial responsibility to conduct such a business.
Currently, there is one such business, Newton County Security Patrol, operating in the city limits. The patrol has four officers and two vehicles equipped with amber light bars for identification purposes. Officers patrol their clients’ homes and businesses looking for suspicious activity or signs of it, then report anything they find unusual to the Neosho Police Department or the Newton County Sheriff’s Department, whichever agency has jurisdiction.

McCracken has previously told the council the security company has garnered input from his department and has cooperated with the minimum standards of such a business. Under the new ordinance, these standards include approval of badge, uniform, insignia and other equipment.

The ordinance would also require all security guards, security companies and private investigators to be licensed. Within 15 days after a company, investigator or guard applies for a license, the police department would conduct a background check. Licenses would be issued only if it was determined an applicant was of good moral character, had not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude and was a natural-born or naturalized citizen of the United States. Licenses could be suspended or revoked due to violations of the ordinance, fraud, or failure to obey city, state and federal laws regulating this type of work. The licenses, as well as identification cards, would be issued by the city finance director.

Missouri DWI News

 Subscribe to Missouri DWI News