A small Mississippi town’s police force will now be able to better serve its community with police protection thanks to a gift from a much larger city from across the country.

City leaders from Manhattan Beach, California, and Pickens, Mississippi, gathered in front of Manhattan Beach Police Department recently to celebrate the unprecedented donation of five decommissioned Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD) vehicles to the Town of Pickens.

“As mayor, our top priority is the safety of our communities. Here in Manhattan Beach, we have been able to make strategic investments in public safety. As a result of a recent purchase of five new police vehicles for our department, we were able to help another community in need,” said Mayor Richard Montgomery. “As a former police officer, I understood Mayor Moore’s plea for help. Without vehicles, she cannot deploy her officers. Manhattan Beach prides itself on being a community that steps up when there is a need. I am so glad we are able to help her keep the Town of Pickens safe.”

The donated Manhattan Beach police vehicles will help meet the needs of the police department in the Town of Pickens, which currently has just two police vehicles for their seven officers.

“I want to thank Mayor Montgomery and the entire City of Manhattan Beach for this generous donation that represents the best of the California spirit,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

Mayor Richard Montgomery and Pickens Mayor Paulette Moore met at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., this past January. They began discussing Manhattan Beach’s plan to purchase new vehicles for MBPD, which would result in the decommissioning of five MBPD vehicles. Mayor Moore shared the needs of Pickens, and their interest in the decommissioned MBPD vehicles. The Manhattan Beach City Council approved the donation at the May 16, 2023, meeting.

“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,” said Mayor Paulette Moore of Pickens. “I am excited to be part of this partnership between two cities and two police departments. The Pickens Police Department is eternally grateful to the Manhattan Beach Police Department for these essential resources to assist in the safety of the Town of Pickens.”

The transportation of the police vehicles was made possible by the generosity of Chevron, Skechers, LAcarGuy, and the Westdrift Hotel.

Pickens is a small community with a population of 920 people north of Canton. Manhattan Beach is a city of more than 35,000 people in Los Angeles County.