Jackson Jambalaya

Why do they need more officers when there is only a perception of violent crime?

The Jackson Police Department has been chronically short of full staff all the way back to when Harvey Johnson was mayor. Problem is not that there is no budget for more officers, it's just that outlying municipalities pay more and those forces aren't having to deal with as many lawbreakers as in the city. If you want more officers then you need to increase pay by shutting down unnecessary expenditures (zoo, planetarium, etc.) and get back to funding public safety.

I guess JDP was already de-funded.

Maybe they aren't as stupid as people say they are.

Is anyone truly surprised?

"That still didn't stop them from shooting guns". While there is no doubt we need more police, better paid police, they have little effect on reducing or preventing the type of violence that Jackson is experiencing. This type of violence is characteristic of a total breakdown in human decency within a culture. And still, no will point a finger.

I thought JPD has lost more officers than than that.

All of them can earn a lot more money as private security in and around "the capitol city".

And yes, while I understand the HCSO is in charge of the State Fair . . . I'm still hesitant to go down there and eat a free biscuit while watching the piglet races.

I'm not worried about covid as much as a stray bullet.

Whoda thunk it.

JPD has been short over 100 officers since the Frank Melton administration. No news here

Isn't Lumumba part of the defund movement, why doesn't he assign some social workers to patrol the skreets?

One of the many reasons violent crime continues to be an issue (or issah, for those in the legislature) is the lack of a deterrent via a functioning criminal justice system. The revolving door at the county jail coupled with judicial malfeasance has created the perfect storm in Jackson.

Congratulations, you've got the (dysfunctional) government you voted for!

Dismantle the NRA and all these shootings will cease. LOL 😂

Why would anyone be a police officer in Jackson when the Judges set a low bond the thugs are back out on the street before the ink is dry the criminal complaint form. This is a Hinds County Judicial Problem. Nothing will be done because it is a fudge brownie city.

I think that we need to think holistically about what people perceive as crime here. More and more police officers in the street will given people the unfortunate impression that we are more concerned about deterring crime than we are about dealing with the reasons crimes occur. People who merely lose property always have insurance to cover that kind of loss, as everyone knows, so I don't think that burglaries, larcenies and that kind of thing should be a priority in our holistic approach. We need to find a way to pay people enough so that they won't commit these incidents, and we need to create a safe and welcoming environment for people who feel that being involved in how incidents occur is a problem for them, to show them that there are alternatives. We need much more in anger management assistance in order to deal with the perception of shooting in the city than we need armed policemen, who can be intimidating.

Many more trained professionals as detectives and street cops would help. DA and Judges must step up. Until safe small businesses will not return to Jackson, the economic engine. The educational system is as hard, perhaps harder. Always assumed to cost too much, it would if everyone in the system expects a slice of every pie. I agree with the cultural decline comments yet known murderers out on the street openly armed is movie gangster stuff.

7:48...thank you!

@7:48, except you and other racists. We know what you mean by “a culture.” To condemn an entire race for the acts of criminals is the epitome of racism.

8:24...Yes, I think everyone knows what I mean when I say a "culture". And no, it's not an entire race, but enough to give everyone a bad name. And that's what I don't understand. Why do the good in that culture put up with it? You never see a member of that culture point a finger at the bad. They simply tolerate the violence or, what's worse, make excuses for it. And what you call racism, I call resentment.

@8:24, when the great 'canceling' goes down stay hidden in your bunker.

7:48 Yes a culture. Outlaw Country got me robbing everyone I see.

@8:24... 7:48 makes a lot more sense once you read the nonsense posted by 12:44. I hope they were being sarcastic.

Heres how you can tell Kingfish isn't really serious about the Jackson crime issue. Make a truthful comment in response to 8:24 that supports 7:48 with evidence and see if he approves the comment. He probably won't.

Speaking from experience, JPD has been short staffed for many years and unless someone provides a roster of 302 officers I’ll never believe it. My money is on the 250-275 range. While you’re digging ask how many officers are assigned to work traffic, DUI enforcement, or narcotics.

804, the HCSO doesn’t handle security at the fair anymore. Capital Police took over because Hinds co can’t handle it’s own problems.

I'm trying to get a JPD roster out of the city right now. The city wants over $300 for a roster. Gave it to me for free last year but now wants several hundred dollars. All other PD's around here provided a copy of their rosters for free.

Exactly what little Chokwe set out to do when he pushed to fund black holes like the zoo over public safety. Thugs walk down the street with visible guns after pilfering cars all night, stop lights and speed limits are just mere suggestions. Jackson is in a state of lawlessness and the voters get what they deserve. Get to the burbs while your property values still have a pulse, folks.

"You never see a member of that culture point a finger at the bad. They simply tolerate the violence or, what's worse, make excuses for it."

7:48 and 9:07, People like you are whats wrong with our Nation. A white male should not have his character judged based on whether he condemns, marches against, "points the finger at" school shooters, mass shooters, domestic terrorists or the Epsteins and priests of the world. The fact that any African American is judged by whether he/she speaks out/condemns action(s) of other African Americans when one has nothing to do with the other other than the fact that they are both AA is ridiculous.

will you and all others like you please, please, please, do yourselves and the world a favor and simply google some variation of "black march against violence" and educate yourselves on how long black people have been speaking out against black on black crime. Understand that you are not the hearer and "see-er" of all things black. Simply because you may not have heard about it does not mean its not happening. This fallacy that black people are okay with black on black crime needs to stop immediately. Believe it or not, when African American defendants go to trial in Hinds County against a competent A.D.A. they often get convicted (by a predominantly black jury). If you want to express your disdain for Black people, please do it without relying or restating on lies.

Simply because you may not have heard about it does not mean its not happening.

Simply because you believe your own assumptions and/or world view doesn't make you the arbiter or more salient voice either.

Hey, its not a problem anymore. Baby Chock has gotten his ass covered because he is not in a chase with Chicago anymore for the murder capital - their rioting, burning, looting (all in the name of reparations) has surpassed even Jackson's failure to 'serve and protect'.

As an aside, the Chief says that they are 'budgeted' for 400 officers - since they don't have, and haven't for years - anywhere near these 400 officers, where does this excess budgeted money go? I guess the Jackson Jam Award group will get their annual grant doubled this year because that is such a priority for our city, along with all the other crap that they decide to fund as a necessity.

Damn, I love the smell of sanctimony in the morning.

KF, asking the JPD where the "salary savings" goes would be a very valid question to ask.

11:04 AM, If what you say is true why is there so much marching, rioting, burning, and looting going on by black lives matter people trying to get rid of the police. Police do not kill a fraction of the black people that other black people do.

Do a search on how many black people are killed by police in the U.S. in a year then compare it to the number of black people killed by other black people. You will see how much the black lives matter group really believes or cares about black lives.

@11:58, I don't know about now, but in year's past some of the excess salary from unfilled positions covered overtime pay. And their overall budget was usually adjusted as the end of the budget year approached in September.

" I think that we need to think holistically"

I honestly don't now which word makes me laugh harder:

( holistic or dialogue )

My Dad was a JPD Officer during the 1960s/1970s.

The entire force was a close family . . . North, South and West Jackson families visited each other weekly.

Yes, those were bad times , but us kids had no clue. We also had no clue about what was going on in Vietnam.

We would gather in all parts of Jackson for picnics at The Zoo, Lake Hico, McDowell Road ect.
Our favorite time was the Christmas party at the JPD Training Center on St. Charles Street, just north of Westland Plaza.

Yeah . . . those days are long gone, but thanks for letting an old "Boomer" reminisce.

( I might bring up chasing and inhaling the mosquito truck fog on a future comment)

"Dismantle the NRA and all these shootings will cease". Yeah I loved that one too. If NRA is to be dismantled, then NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus, The Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, etc. need to go.

Someone said "( I might bring up chasing and inhaling the mosquito truck fog on a future comment)"

What memories! The kids on my block would sit on the side of the ditch (no curbs back then) and wait on him.

A few years ago my wife and I were strolling around Highland Village after dinner at Bravo and ran into a young police officer out in front of Albritons. The store's alarm had gone off and JPD had dispatched the officer, by himself, to deal with the potential jewelry heist. He asked us if we had seen anything, we had not, and a conversation ensued. We asked him how things were at JPD and he opened up. It was Christmas season and he had been required to work Thanksgiving, and was also expected to work Christmas and New Year's. He had a wife and children and was going to miss all three holidays with them. He was discouraged and said morale was low throughout the department. He said the chief problem was poor leadership. I felt terrible for the guy. I know it's unprofessional to complain to strangers about your job but it was clear the officer just needed somebody to talk to and we were probably the first sympathetic people he had met all day. Besides, for morale to get to that point reflects more poorly on JPD than the officer. This city could improve its police force dramatically without spending an extra dime if we simply put people in charge that officers and citizens alike had confidence in. Unfortunately I know that is asking too much. We've been through one or two police chiefs since that conversation so I'm hoping things have improved. Doesn't look like it though.