Created: 6/1/2009 3:23:25 PM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is hosting members of the Picayune, Mississippi, Police Department (PPD), who want to say thanks for helping deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The PPD came to town to formally thank Sheriff John H. Rutherford and the first responders who provided much needed care during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The population of Picayune before Hurricane Katrina was about 13,000. Overnight, the hurricane evacuees from other cities increased the population to more than 45,000.
Forty-five law enforcement officers from Duval and Baker Counties came to Picayune to help keep the order. Officers took command of the Pearl River County Emergency Operations Center and coordinated all law-enforcement and emergency operations as the area saw tens of thousands of evacuees fleeing from harder hit areas.
Officers also provided help in daily search and rescue missions and traditional police duties, staffed the county jail, and cleaned and cleared debris around the city's communities.
They also provided local law enforcement with much needed opportunities to attend to their own families, homes and property, many of whom were directly impacted by the hurricane.
©2010 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.
