Waveland police trying out a new tactic in the war on drugs

WAVELAND, Miss. (WLOX) - Waveland police officers are trying out a new tactic in the war on drugs.

Officers are placing signs after drug arrests saying, “This drug house is closed for business.” It’s both a message of reassurance for neighbors and a warning for criminals to watch out.

Driving on Meadow Lane, peace, quiet, and safety are what come to mind for John White. He says he’s lived on Meadow Lane for three years and recently noticed suspicious activity.

“I noticed a little more traffic on here from people that we don’t really know, we know just about everyone come here before. Just made it a little more uneasy,” said White.

Uneasy and uncomfortable is what many are feeling according to Waveland Police Chief Michael Prendergast. Those feelings intensify for officers as more people are overdosing on drugs in the city.

“The overdoses are on the rise. We’ve been having a lot in our small city. We’ve been averaging a couple a month,” said Prendergast.

The department is determined to get a hold on the issue and said officers had five drug busts within the past few months. Authorities alerted the public online and at the scene with signs.

“Putting the sign up helps because people see it and a lot of people don’t want to see that sign in their yard. A lot of people don’t know what’s going on. They see a lot of activity, a lot of traffic in and out of houses, they need to call us and let us know and let us look into this,” said Prendergast.

White says the signs gives reassurance, and he’s grateful for the department’s efforts.

“I wrote them an email and thanked them for all the hard work he’s done and the officers to make us feel a whole lot better. I think that’s the only way that the police department is going to find out if there’s a problem is if someone talks about it. When you say something, they do something,” said White.

If anyone is hesitant, authorities recommend folks to reach out through Crime Stoppers or through the department’s Facebook page for information.

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