Jackson Jambalaya

Well, our fearless leader gave a big dog-and-pony show last week on the use of hidden cameras in Jackson, giving us the impression that Jackson had indeed entered the big brother age and was going to be aggressively using a silent army of cameras around Jackson to catch criminals.

However, as we have come to expect with Melton, not so fast my friend. With Melton you learn to ignore the headlines and publicity and focus on what he is really doing.

Well, I must give props to one of the JFP moonbats. ;-) Kudos to Grassy Knol Aust who has made this observation:

"FYI: After pausing and re-pausing and slo-motioning the WAPT report, it appears as though EVERY camera is simply a linked line to the cameras on the Interstates and a few MAJOR intersections throughout the city. This cameras have been up and primarily used by MDOT for monitoring traffic (if I'm correct).

From what I could tell, there are NO NEW cameras. Every single shot showed feeds from Lakeland/I-55, County Line/Ridgeland Cam, etc... These are pretty much the same cameras the news will use during the weathercasts (actually, I think it's WAPT that uses them).

Why did no one bother to ask what's so special about this? Most of the cameras are fed via the Internet.Expensive set of smoke and mirrors.... How many crimes actually take place at these major intersections and on the Interstate? Next to none.These cameras will have little-to-no impact... Much like the Eye in the Sky.Cameras are everywhere and record. Police use recorded footage all the time. Real-time screening of huge sections of street aren't going to prove valuable unless it's a living being within proximity to help PREVENT a crime.

You'll also notice that MDOT details the location of EVERY camera. So, a criminal with 1/4 of a brain cell would know exactly which route NOT TO TAKE.

Further, how many are actually in West/South Jackson which seems to be a hotbed for violent crimes right now? The answer is two...P.S. That restaurant was the McD's on Fortification and State... The camera is actually mounted a few feet from it. That's one of the only ones with good access to parking lots and places where a crime might occur."

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=13884_0_27_0_C#86384

Why does this not surprise me? I want to see more details but for some reason, given Melton's penchant for not telling the truth and making sensational claims, this would not shock me although I am not ready to believe it just yet.


UPDATE:

Well, well, well, what do you know? The Clarion-Ledger had an additional story this morning: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS/706120385/1001

Well, apparently Grassy Knol was correct after all (good job!!!). It seems Melton was using the MDOT cameras and passing them off as some super-secret know-all and see-all techonology. He must be one of those who is easily impressed. The story says: "Note: Cameras on the interstates are used by the city with the Mississippi Department of Transportation's cooperation."

In fact, here are a list of the intersections:
State and Fortification streets
High and Greymont streets
U.S. 80 and Robinson Road
High and Jefferson streets
State and Rankin streets
I-20 and Valley Street
Lakeland Drive and I-55
State and Fondren Place
I-55 and County Line Road

Those are some high-crime areas, aren't they? What did Melton say last week?
(http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706090368)
"There are dozens of cameras at secret locations all over town, paid for by a federal grant. The system has been in the works for two years, Melton said."

It just goes to show once again with Melton you have to ignore all the bombast and focus on the details. In this case, he simply is touting a link/feed to the MDOT cameras and promoting it as something it isn't.
But then again, he was found guilty of lying under oath in a Meridian courtroom so I guess he is just staying true to his character.