Jackson Jambalaya

As usual Marshall Ramsey nails it. Let us review our Mayor's crime-fighting record. He makes a big fuss about the "new" video cameras placed throughout the city. It turns out later that they are either the old ones that Harvey Johnson obtained for Jackson or MDOT cameras. It is also discovered that they have no videotape. Melton claims ignorance. For successful prosecution of a case, fingerprints must be signed off by TWO fingerprint experts. Problem is, Jackson only has one fingerprint expert and must send off fingerprints to the state for analysis, thus adding to the huge backlog of cases in Jackson. However, don't think our mayor is doing nothing. Melton is very active in blowing money on unconfirmed department heads, consultants, and bodyguards. The Clarion-Ledger reported today that Melton said he was going to hire a liason for disabled people in Jackson. Um, we need a fingerprint specialist more than we do such a liason. Let us also not forget that Precinct four is over 20 officers understaffed (It usually only has 5 officers on duty) with the largest increase in crime yet Melton claims no knowledge of such things even though he lives there.

Melton declares a state of emergency on crime, then goes out of town for several days during the "emergency". JPD is 200 officers understrength, the solution is to make people pay their fines. How novel. The crime-reporting system is junked and for awhile, Melton refuses to release all crime statistics. Last year, JPD wrote 15,000 fewer citations. The FBI crime stats reveal that there were NO arrests for drug sales last year. The local newspaper reports that 20% of JPD officers are not firearms qualified. Whenever challenged, Melton simply calls his critics "corrupt".

Then there are the individual cases. Michael Taylor is the subject of an arrest warrant yet Melton refuses to turn him in, allowing Mr. Taylor to stay at his house with him and his police bodyguards. Ms. Heather Spencer files charges at the JPD after her boyfriend attacked her with a hammer, requiring 57 staples in her head. She was murdered by the same man three months later. JPD says its not their fault as she dropped the charges, ignoring the fact that the law allows them to pursue the case anyway (How much testimony do you need from her after the medical report is presented as evidence?).

Meanwhile, the gator gets bigger and bigger as it becomes more obvious Melton has bitten off much more than he can chew while crime in Jackson sky-rockets. This is not a record of crime-fighting. This is a record of crime-fighting incompetence.