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Magee citizen Gaye Magee-Sullivan expresses her feelings concerning handling of the situation on Friday, December 29, 2023 involving Monkenly McNair.
Mrs. Sullivan’s statements are not necessarily the views of MageeNews.com.
By Gaye Sullivan-Magee
As a tax paying resident of Magee, I’m appalled at the lack of communication from the police department and city government regarding a felony fleeing suspect on the loose in the city limits today, and apparently, still at large. Not only at large, but allegedly armed with an AK-47 as communicated to my neighbors by the mayor. This person was being tracked in the area behind our house without anyone in city law enforcement providing us warning about a dangerous individual and that we should lock up and stay put until further notice. We were working outside and only became aware of the situation after continuous circling of a helicopter and a neighbor who actually went outside and asked an officer parked in front of her house. Otherwise, we would not have known anything.
I can’t believe the total disregard of public safety displayed by the PD on numerous occasions and can’t believe the lack of effort by you, our elected (remember….you represent citizens who are tired of what is going on) city officials, to direct the PD to start communicating. Today’s incident and the lack of communication to citizens directly affected by it is inexcusable.
The city has the capability to text citizens about a variety of things; I signed up for every one, yet, I only received one text about anything, and that was months ago. Why is this capability not being used? Have you ever considered this to be an important communication tool for notifying citizens about a variety of topics and emergencies? Probably not, otherwise it would have been functional and in use today!
Ever thought about using social media on a regular basis as a tool to communicate? Why does the city pay someone (overpay, in my opinion) to manage a Facebook page (not IT as it is listed on the Board meeting agenda) yet there is only an average of one post per month? In case you didn’t know, the Magee Preservation Commission requested access to the city Facebook page to post content regarding the recent grant awarded, as requested by T-Mobile as part of their publicity plan. However, we were unable to get the young man to give us access or post anything on the city Facebook page in order to comply with T-Mobile’s request. Who does this person report to? What is his job description?
This past May I appeared before the Board of Aldermen and Mayor on behalf of Citizens for a Better Magee requesting more communication from the city so that residents can be better informed and, more importantly, for the city to be more transparent. However, here we are, still no communication effort regarding matters of public safety and continuing to violate the Open Meetings Act specific to executive sessions on a regular basis.
In case any of you want to learn more about the role of social media in law enforcement, local government social media and texting, or a recent MS Ethics Commission ruling on Executive Sessions, I’ve included links/pdf to enlighten you on things the city could/should be doing.
Sincerely,
Gaye Magee-Sullivan
906 Lake Circle
Social Media – Law Enforcement
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R47008.pdf
https://leb.fbi.gov/spotlights/social-media-spotlight-communication-as-a-tool-to-fight-violent-crime
https://amuedge.com/why-social-media-plays-an-important-role-in-law-enforcement/
Social Media – Local Government
https://www.governing.com/now/how-social-media-is-elevating-engagement-for-local-government.html
https://www.civicplus.com/blog/ce/the-truth-about-local-government-and-social-media/
Texting – Local Government
Mississippi Ethics Commission Opinion – Executive Sessions