California city donates police cars to Mississippi town
Manhattan Beach had police cars to give away. Pickens, Mississippi, needed some. Then the towns' mayors met in Washington, DC, earlier this year.
Several former Manhattan Beach police cars are about to go back into use — in Mississippi.
The Manhattan Beach Police Department recently donated five decommissioned vehicles to the town of Pickens, Mississippi.
Pickens is a small town in central Mississipp. It’s population was 920 people, according to 2020 census data. Manhattan Beach, by contrast, has about 35,500 residents, census data shows.
The Manhattan Beach City Council approved the donation at a meeting last month. Officials held a ceremony last week to commemorate the gift, which was part of the city’s fleet replacement program.
This was Manhattan Beach’s first time donating police vehicles to a town in another state, city spokesperson Alexandria Latragna said.
When Manhattan Beach Mayor Richard Montgomery met his Pickens counterpart, Paulette Moore, earlier this year at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C., the two city leaders discussed the former city’s plan to decommission old MBPD vehicles and buy new ones, according to a press release. Moore then expressed her town’s need and interest in the police cars.
“Our top priority is the safety of our communities,” Montgomery said. “As a result of a recent purchase of five new police vehicles for our department, we were able to help a community in need.”
Moore, in a statement, thanked Manhattan Beach.
“I am very appreciative of the generosity of Mayor Montgomery and the Manhattan Beach City Council to help us keep our town safe by assisting with the acquisition of these much needed police vehicles,” Moore said in the press release. “The Pickens Police Department is eternally grateful to the Manhattan Beach Police Department for these essential resources.”
Montgomery resonated with the importance of prioritizing public safety.
“As a former police officer, I understood Mayor Moore’s plea for help,” Montgomery said, “Without vehicles, she cannot deploy her officers; I am so glad we are able to help her keep the Town of Pickens safe.”
The vehicles were picked up for transport on Friday and are set to arrive in Pickens on Thursday, June 29.