The U.S. Attorney stirred things up in Jackson last week when he blasted local judges and politicians for Jackson's crime problem. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba took issue with Mr. Hurst while JPD Chief James Davis held a press conference Thursday.
JPD Chief James Davis didn't exactly respond to the U.S. Attorney's comments but instead discussed a JPD operation to "address gun violence" in Jackson that began on December 9. Chief Davis said JPD arrested 88 suspects. Twenty-two arrests included murder, aggravated assault, and armed robberies. Six felons were arrested for possessing firearms while "18 guns were recovered from the streets." Chief Davis said no homicides occurred after the operation began.
The JPD Police Chief declined to respond to Mr. Hurst's comments on Jackson crime and local judges.
Although he criticized judges and politicians, Mr. Hurst praised JPD.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department issued a statement and list of suspects arrested during a recent sweep.
Kingfish note: Don't be shocked if the Mayor has his own press conference addressing the U.S. Attorney's remarks. He is not terribly fond of criticism in any form.
47 comments:
Hurst called it like he saw it. So is that racist?
Listen,
Baby chokwe has been the same since he and I went to St. Joe together. No one could say anything about him critical. He was the original snowflake. A kid that grew up privileged and was spoiled beyond belief. Smart guy academic wise yes!!! Common sense or able to handle the real world absolutely not. He is critical of those that are critical of him bc he's not use to that. I live in NE Jackson and I support Hurst as it seems he's the only one talking about the issues. I hope he continues.
It's not the criticism they need but it is the criticism they deserve.
Chokwe can certainly dish it out but he can't take it. I find it funny that he thinks it's off limits to be critical of an elected official. His ass works for us. Of course he thinks differently. He's a public servant.
Imagine if Chockwe was a white supremacist instead of a black racist- I wonder how all you social justice hippipes would think of him...
The City of Jackson is the result of its leaders and the culture associated with its residents.
The residents cast the votes and select their leaders. Just like other cities.
I think the residents are quite content with the city in its present form. Why ? Because, I don't see protests against crime. I don't see protests against corruption. I don't see the recalling of officials, particularly judges.
So, it seems all is well and the residents are happy.
It seems to me that Hurst should be working with Jackson to improve the situation, not making self-aggrandizing public criticisms.
These are not two entities that should be in competition and I don't know in what universe attacking people verbally and publicly gets them to be other than defensive and angry.
I would hope that Lumumba is smart enough not to take the bait but rather to take a page from JPD and talk about any positive steps he has or is taking to address the problems we all face together when it comes to crime.
Neither Mr. Hurst nor the Mayor walk on water or are perfect. It's easy to point to the flaws of others, everyone has them.
Better to improve yourself, be a good example and work with others to make things better...even if you don't get the credit.
Why in the hell didn't everyone learn this? It used to be that most everyone did.
These days, it seems that to be " puffed up" and a braggart and to win in the moment is " fashionable".
I would remind everyone that you can fight and win every battle and lose the war...wasn't Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan illustrative enough? The fable of the tortoise and the hare should have been lesson enough!
How do you help somebody who refuses to be helped?
Same could be said for a city or an administration.
Sorry, 8:51, but the 'Can't we just get along' mantra died off with William Winter's non-relevance. The notion of 'Let's join hands and work together can't exist with this racist administration or the prior six. I can't remember the last time any white person's help or existence on 'the team' was welcomed, but I'd like for somebody to remind me.
Meanwhile: "Chief Davis said no homicides occurred after the operation began."
Well, there ya go....problem solved.
8:51am Get. Your. Head. Out. Yo. Ass. Hurst was saying that all the arrests in the world don't mean anything if you have judges putting lenient sentences on the crooks. Not self-serving just calling out the problem to be addressed.If there is no consequences there is nothing keeping the barbarians from crashing the gates.
To the smart guy/gal at 8:51: I believe Hurst has reached out to help. It was called Project EJECT. It takes two to tango, buddy. Hard to help those that don't want it. Public safety in Jackson is in crisis mode. We can't wait around for the Mayor to agree to make nice press conferences.
Hurst and Feds are assisting JPD and city and second LEO officers MUST be invited or asked to serve on the Federal Fugitive Task Force first. Federal law enforcement has @ 19 page application for employment & these officers serving on task force get paid by Federal tax dollars as well, not just city & state money. Where would citizens be today without Federal assistance? LEO do NOT control the courts & according to WLBT another female was murdered last night. We must all assist and call ink tips no matter who the person is committing crimes. I am thankful everyday as we live in the greatest nation in the world. I personally don’t see US Citizens fleeing into other countries and being given what the United States gives, unless US citizens are feelin on UFTAP(unlawful flight to avoid prosecution!
@ December 30, 2019 at 8:51 AM
My sentiments exactly. That was some high school sh*t on what Hurst did the other day. It only feeds into the divisive rhetoric between Jackson and the suburbs. It's not necessary and it's just poor taste.
At the end of the day, we are all residents of Mississippi. We need to find solutions instead of just pointing out differences.
It's easy to just point fingers and find blame. Either you are part of the solution or part of the problem.
That's why apathy remains the status quo. Find a way to work together.
@8:51
The most recent example of a person trying to reach out to help Jackson was Barksdale. He offered JPS $100k to find a well qualified supertendant for the schools. They said no thx white guy. Imagine that. So I live in northeast Jackson and I can tell you many business owners live here such as big 10 tires junikers babalou table 100 bravo newks mattice yates family hundreds of others including Cspire as well as Craddock family oil gas station family that ole miss basketball arena has written on it even 1 call that's all gets the brush off from the city!!!... the city could care less about these people except on tax day. The city leadership is garbage and that's the only way to say it.
Until we get rid of the “catch and release” judges, crime will only grow.
@ December 30, 2019 at 9:51 AM
The most recent example of a person trying to reach out to help Jackson was Barksdale. He offered JPS $100k to find a well-qualified superintendent for the schools.
As always, I feel there is more to the story and there were probably some stipulations to that offer.
Given the idiots that populated the JPS school board at the time, does it matter?
The only way to counter an insurgency (yes, Jackson it being run/influenced by a criminal insurgency) is constant pressure; city leaders have to make the battle space so uncomfortable (or unprofitable) for such a period of time that:
1. The adversary's leadership is denied influence resulting in it becoming ineffective and disoriented, and is ultimately disrupted/dismantled/disabled;
2. The adversary's capability and capacity to operate in the battle space is eliminated;
3. The will of the remaining group is broken, and;
4. The adversary abandons the battle space.
Politically-motivated crime fighting efforts with artificial expiration dates and racial carve-outs accompanied by meaningless prosecution will do nothing to enhance the security of the city and the safety of its inhabitants. It will take time, money and political will to make Jackson safe, neither of which Jackson has ---- good luck y'all!
@9:51 I'm often amazed that, when presented with the exact same facts, two people can see things so completely differently. It's amazing to me that both @8:51 and you can take Mr. Hurst's comments the way that you did! To take it the way y'all did is to imply you believe the crime situation in Jackson is currently satisfactory and in no need of repair. It continues down the same bloody path, and yet y'all criticize someone for coming in and trying to turn things around. It's not a them vs. us situation. When you have a City administration that doesn't recognize it's got a problem, it's actually a GOOD thing to have another entity come in and try to make a difference (and even criticize the current administration, if need be!)
Just like with the public school system, EVERY year, it gets worse and worse. The same old platitudes about insufficient funding, school lunches, etc. are thrown about, and even when those things are bolstered by more money, the schools STILL get worse! That's just a fact. So, in a situation like that, would it be wrong to have someone come in with a new approach and possibly criticize the current school administration about their lack of direction.
No, I didn't think so. The Jackson and JPS administrations look at the current situation as it's "OUR time." That blinds them to the fact that real problems exist.
Admitting there is a problem is the first step. And Jackson’s leaders are walking the other way...
Hurst's statements were quite accurate and from the reactions I have heard from common citizens of Jackson, they were welcome and well received. Based on the actions of JPD they were also well received. If you are stupid enough to expect the mayor or the judges to apologize or admit that THEY are the problem you must live on Mars. That don't happen nowhere, not Jackson, not Madison, not Washington D.C., not Pearl, not Silverado. But well intentioned and constructive criticism of a broken system coupled with action will help. Those of you waiting for admissions of guilt or surrender keep waiting. If Mr. Hurst is willing to walk the walk and not just talk the talk he will find that MOST citizens of Jackson, not the politicians, welcome his efforts. That's a good start.
In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.
--Mark Twain
To those critical of being critical, please comment on how it should be done. Please explain the incompetence of Jackson’s leadership. Please explain why they avoid making crime a big issue. Do they think their tax base will leave if the problems are talked about out loud? Does the mayor think he has a chance of being a lifetime politician? Why would you ever try to deceive the people and not let them know you are trying to get things done?
Is Lumumba really racists? Why wouldn’t he simply ask for help? Out loud. Just admit that we do not know how to handle complicated issues and beg for help. Allow the citizens the opportunity to do better than they did yesterday. Give them real hope. Not a reason to fail.
Jackson's leaders can say what ever they want about the statements of Mr. Hurst, BUT everything that Mr. Hurst says is validated on the 6 and 10 pm news...…
Chokeway just needs to shut up, he's proven he is incapable of providing straightforward answers and has no real plans on how to govern the city of Jackson.
It's refreshing to see all these white people from Madison and Rankin join in and criticize Jackson. Clearly your comments are making all the difference and are a huge help! Also, don't forget to throw in a few prayers also, that will surely rectify the decades of neglect.
@9:37 AM - It's UFAP, not UFTAP.
@12:57
I did comment. I do live in NE Jackson and I can tell You plenty of whites o know comment on here and do live in Jackson. Go back to your hole... your either otha Cain or Donna Ladd.
@ December 30, 2019 at 11:19 AM
Didn't have any issues with him catching criminals. However, I did have an issue with how he voiced his issues with the judicial system in Jackson. Not saying the criticism is not warranted. But it came across as more political. In the end, he tried to clean it up with giving credit to JPD for helping in the sting operation.
Less rhetoric, more arrests. You won't hear any complaints from the residents in Jackson.
What a waste of time reading all this. Jackson each day is more and more doomed. Nothing can be done, just too far gone for too long. Stay away as far from away Jackson as possible. Sadly is really hard to have good pockets in an Metro area when the largest city is one of the worst in the country.
In spite of it all, 12:57 still manages to find a way to pin Jackson's problems on "white people."
Thank you, Hurst and JPD!
Now we just need Hurst or somebody to get on that judge/DA that have kept Curtis Flowers in prison.
What a waste of time reading all this. Jackson each day is more and more doomed. Nothing can be done, just too far gone for too long. Stay away as far from away Jackson as possible. Sadly is really hard to have good pockets in an Metro area when the largest city is one of the worst in the country.
It's this kind of mindset that goes to show why Mississippi is considered the cesspool of America.
I went to the supermarket today. (not in Jackson). While there I saw an armed security guard and two other employees looking in the parking lot for someone. Don't know what for exactly but it was clear that the person was trying to avoid them.
I thought, why the hell do we have to have armed security guards at a Rouses? It must be because stealing isn't the exception anymore it is the norm. How is it that so many people break the law that everywhere you go must now have security? It's the paying customers that have to pay extra because of the thieves.
Sad world we live in.
@3:40 PM because some people feel entitled to the property belonging to other people. They are members of the "free stuff" generation. They don't want to work; they failed in school; they "hang out" all day with their homies, and prey on victims everyday of the year.
What's clear to me is that a system of electing judges must go. That system never made sense to me.
As someone who is white and currently (though for how long I dont know)lives in Jackson I say turn it into Escape From New York.
"JPD Chief James Davis"
I really hadn't paid much attention to this VIP Jacksonian "Super Cop".
He had no clue trying to survive a lil' local press conference.
Baby Choke has got his latest (yes man) running JPD.
So sad for the hard working ground troops at the Jackson Police Dept.
JPD cops are mostly lazy racists that hide behind a badge. They will not serve and really don’t protect. Rather they begrudgingly get involved with crime when it requires. I do not respect them. Lazy thugs.
Sorry 6:43, but you're about 25 years behind the curve.
And while I do seriously wish you well, please don't dwell on property values.
Take a massive loss and get out of there out while you still can.
Better to loose money on a bad real estate deal than to get shot a Citi Trends on North State Street.
9:26 am I am NOT arguing " why can't we all get along". I am saying that it's in everyone's best interest to work together to solve common problems.
That does require a degree of civility and effort, but it doesn't require us to be other than realistic and see mistakes as human events that are correctable and not invest our egos in failure but to see failure as an opportunity to problem solve. We don't have to be bosom buddies to do that.
It is not realistic to think everyone has your same needs or wants to do things your way either. That is hubris. A bit of humility is necessary.
There is NO political system or philosophy or invention ever tried that has achieved perfection immediately(never perfection with the first two) or could not be improved upon.
"If it ain't broke, no fix it" is dumb if it stands in the way of a better method or machine. It only points to the danger of tearing up what works if no better plan exists.
Societal conflict just doesn't work forever (including wars) unless you engage in genocide and never kills ideas. You may notice that fascism and neo-Nazism is on the rise and that our embassy was attacked in Baghdad.
How on earth to you see the outcome of your " all is lost in Jackson"? Surely, you know that our population loss in MS has increased dramatically.
People with good sense ask themselves " How can I make this better?" . Idiots want to change everyone else. Good luck with that whatever color you are. Insulting and demeaning others will never result in anything other than conflict and temporary repression or oppression. ( See history and human behavior over the centuries).
10:34 you make great and thoughtful points. As a society, we do not have to go back very far to see that unfit politicians are not the answer. Why can't we learn that leadership in our Capital city wouldn't have to complain about being criticized if transparent measures were in place to at least try to deter crime. Dope and hunger fuel most of it. How do we fix it? Let's start there.
One would assume the US Marshall Service employees are more competent in apprehending more sophisticated and dangerous criminals.
We have got to elect qualified officials who are passionate about why they were elected. And, stop electing folks because of their race, popularity, genetics, or last name. Most of the voters for this topic will never read our posts. These voters simply see flyers on light poles and make their decisions based on uneducated printed advertisements.
Everyone must be held accountable. If that means calling them out, lets do it. We need the truth, not the alternative.
I Apologize for hurting anyone's feelings.
The elected officials are a direct reflection of the voters.
"9:26 am I am NOT arguing " why can't we all get along". I am saying that it's in everyone's best interest to work together to solve common problems."
Common Problems ?
Please expand on these "common" problems.
Honestly, these problems are not common in the surrounding cities.
Less than twenty-four hours after 9:26's post,( there was another major gun battle) on Medgar Evers Boulevard in the capitol city.
Seem's like "it" might not be in everyone's best interest to stop this lawless and deadly thug behavior.
Just an observation.
What's the head count now? Another death confirmed yesterday as the result of 'a bullet going through a bedroom'?
Please, what is the final count?..assuming no undiscovered bodies are in the weeds. And if bodies in the weeds WERE discovered yesterday, will they be pushed forward into the 2020 count? Yep.
6:33pm
I would suggest to you that however happy you are where you live in Mississippi, it is in every Mississippian's best interest for Mississippi's capitol city to reflect well on the entire State. It's what a CEO who visits the Governor and Legislature sees first.
If you don't see "common problems", you are short sighted and also don't realize that where you live will have, over time, the same problems of decline. You should visit the suburbs around big cities. The ones that still do well as opposed to those that haven't have common characteristics. Your leaders in Madison modeled on Roswell GA initially, but sadly, have dropped the ball on how to commercially develop and Ridgeland sure isn't helping you. And, Flowood hasn't a plan. Brandon has a chance but the focus has to be downtown development that remains " quaint" and architecturally more consistent with residential protections.
Most States get that and believe it or not, other States have had capitol cities that experienced increasing crime and the natural decay that comes with age. In the South, Richmond, Atlanta and Raleigh come immediately to mind.
In those States, however, there was a determination to help, not hurt. No one said " abandon our capitol".
Their legislatures didn't use it as an excuse to prevent funds ( federal or state) from going to repair infrastructure and pass laws to help their capitol's demolish abandoned buildings and go after slum lords and beef up law enforcement.
And, within Jackson, crime is everyone's problem. In Atlanta, when I lived there, there were professional thieves attacking entire neighborhoods in Buckhead. The State provided funds so Crime Stoppers literally came door to door to every house to show the home owner how to make their home safer. It worked. I did what they said and the attempt on my home failed. My neighbors who hadn't participated quickly followed suit. No more break ins. There were other cooperative efforts go after drugs and improve security all over the city. There were meetings in the legal community with other groups to see what laws could be passed to help empower the citizens to fight crime more effectively and improve communication between agencies and people.
Problems are created over years with little things that get bigger, and the improvement in these capitols didn't happen overnight...indeed, it was a decade before you could really start to see obvious results in all three of these towns. But, I will tell you, the good people from all over the State and the Deep Pockets , all pulled together.
Richmond Hill had become a slum and was as crime ridden as west Jackson. Now those lovely old homes are either restored or replaced and cost a fortune.
None of those cities are problem free. Cities never are because people never are. But, their attitude was " what can we do", not " it's hopeless". And, little by little by identifying all the elements needed to make a city great, and bringing together the people with the expertise and resources to make things happen.
Downtown Raleigh's slum apartments that were renting at $400 a month are condos starting at $600000. But, first laws had to be changed to drive out slum lords by requiring tough codes so that selling those buildings or helping them see they'd make more money in the long run by renovation had to happen first.
These States took advantage of the fact too, that their capitols had major hospitals and colleges and universities and historic sites, just like Jackson. And, the STATE kicked in.
All these States realized that cities have to maintain a strong residential tax base...something Jackson's city fathers failed to do long ago as they let businesses develop willy nilly.
Everyone worked together, they weren't at each other's throats.
And, by the way, some of the humans that helped bring about the resurgence of those cities are still alive and have phones.
9:29. What years did this take place?
It all must start with the root of the problems. The roots in Jackson lie in the hearts of the leaders. But, the leaders being elected are not passionate about helping the city. They receive a check and blame others for problems that are scared to face. Hurst has begun the revolution to hold those who are, accountable. Now, it will take acknowledgement within the failed administration and begin a new strategy. Everyone has to know their abilities and everyone has to recognize that the poor black communities will never elect a white person. Even if the white person is more qualified and passionate. So, we have to find black leaders to take on this task. They can’t just beat their chest because of their title and abuse their power to gain self gratification.
This will never get posted, but it is a fairly simple way to look at attacking the problems we face.
May we all work together and make Jackson desirable.
9:29, while I'm sure you made some great points . . . the fact is your comments
are way too long-winded.
Everyone quits reading such after some many words.
Please don't take that personally.
But it's a fact in 2020.
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