The family of Ayden Stockstill is visiting Mississippi counties to urge support for legislation that would allow sheriffs and deputies to use radar guns for speed enforcement, according to local officials.
Senate Bill 2614, sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Thompson of Gulfport, was tabled by the Mississippi Senate on Feb. 12, halting its progress this session. A separate bill, Senate Bill 2616, known as “Ayden’s Law” and introduced by Republican Sen. Angela Burks Hill of Picayune, also aimed to enhance speed enforcement but died earlier in committee.
Despite legislative inaction, 19 Mississippi counties, including Forrest County, have passed resolutions supporting the legislation. The bill is named after 14-year-old Ayden Stockstill, a Picayune High School student who died in a crash last year. His family recently presented the Forrest County Board of Supervisors with challenge coins symbolizing teamwork and Ayden’s love of sports.
Supporters argue that allowing sheriffs to use radar could reduce speeding and crashes, potentially lowering auto insurance costs and the overall societal cost of traffic accidents. Mississippi law currently restricts radar enforcement to the Mississippi Highway Patrol and municipal police, preventing county sheriff’s offices from using radar, according to previous reports by the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center.
Opponents caution that expanding radar authority could lead to revenue-driven ticketing and inconsistent enforcement across counties. The Stockstill family has asked Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann to bring SB 2614 back for a roll call vote. Similar proposals have repeatedly failed in the Mississippi Legislature.
