This report evaluated the effectiveness of Mississippi’s weight enforcement effort as administered by the Privilege Tax Division within the Office of the Motor Vehicle Comptroller (MVC). PEER staff inspected stationary and portable scale weight enforcement operations, examined internal records, and consulted transportation and law enforcement experts on the state and national levels.
The initial section outlined MVC’s current organization and evaluated the proposed creation of a separate Division of Law Enforcement within the MVC. The second chapter assessed MVC stationary and portable scale operations, while the third addressed several enforcement problem areas such as equipment, employment/terminations, training, and internal controls. Aspects of Mississippi’s weight enforcement effort-methods of enforcement, agencies responsible for weight enforcement, fine structures, training programs, and equipment use-were compared to those of selected states in the fourth chapter. The last section investigated certain inadequacies in MVC’s statistical reporting procedures. Major findings and recommendations concerning each of these areas were detailed throughout the report.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.