It came to my attention through an article published in The Vicksburg Post on May 13 that the city might offer a Fisher Ferry site to the county for a jail. The site mentioned concerns me as it is adjacent to St. Michael Catholic Church and a residential neighborhood, as well as being in the vicinity of the Knights of Columbus property.

In my opinion, this site seems to be an inappropriate location for a jail. This property was originally sold to the city by the church with the intention that it be used as a recreational area for ball fields. A considerable investment of time and money has already been made on the site for the original purpose of recreation.

St. Michael is currently embarking on an expansion of the church’s building for church-related activities. Many of these activities will be in the evening, and our seniors and young people need a safe environment traveling to and from the church.

There is a potential for non-law-abiding people to be visiting the jail inmates. Safety for Knights of Columbus activities would be an additional concern. Property values would also decrease for the home-owners in Hamilton Heights, as well as in the surrounding area. The county will also have to spend more money to transport prisoners between this distant site and the courts. This is money that the county cannot afford in this time of recession.

For these reasons and many more not mentioned, I feel that the Warren County Board of Supervisors would best serve the county by choosing one of the seven other sites proposed as mentioned in the article published in The Vicksburg Post on May 11, or another appropriate site.

Bobbie Anderson

Vicksburg