Calls out JPD for Abandoning Hunt Murder Suspect
Jackson Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks issued the following statement.
The basic responsibility of a municipality is to provide public works that ensures clean water, disposal of wastewater, sanitation, and a durable infrastructure. Additionally, a municipality provides public safety to include police, fire and an adequate response during an emergency. The function also includes creating revenue for sustainability and an atmosphere conducive for a decent quality of life. With these governing tools/measures in place, a municipality becomes a place where one is comfortable living, playing, eating out and receiving a quality education.
It is important that we realistically acknowledge where we are as a city. Are we meeting these basic benchmarks? If we are going to set priorities as a governing entity, we must first acknowledge where we are; how we got here and then create a strategy to move forward. A part of that strategy is ownership. Even owning the perception that others have of our city. This ownership isn’t an admission of guilt, but rather, an acknowledgement and realization that we must focus and fix what isn’t working.
Recently, we witnessed the governor veto several bills that would have provided funding for upgrades to projects in Jackson including the golf course, planetarium and the Convention Center. This administration put before the council a general obligation bond (loan) of $9 million dollars to repair and enhance the city auditorium (1 million), and planetarium (8 million). I cannot in good faith commit the city to the obligation of another debt, so I opposed the measure. Here is why:
1) We have so many problems in the area of public safety (including crime and staffing) and in our public works department to include under-paid staff members.
2) How can we focus on buildings downtown when our parks and community centers across this city have not gotten the proper attention they deserve? This includes no bathroom fixtures no lighting, and aging buildings.
3) For people to enjoy living, doing business in, shopping, and playing in the City of Jackson, they must feel safe.
The bottom line is that our state and federal governing authorities must see and understand that we are serious about addressing our areas of weaknesses with public safety and public works. It does not help that what has worked for years in our city (an active agreement) with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department to deploy the Jackson Hinds SWAT team has been dismantled. We must also show a greater interest in protecting the capital city than other agencies do, after all, it’s our city.
It just recently came to my attention that there was an active shooter in downtown Jackson Friday, April 22, around 11:45 pm. I was informed that JPD had a parameter set around the area of where the suspect fled. The US Marshals were involved and asked for the deployment of neighboring agencies to bring in their K-9 to respond and apprehend the suspect. However, while the US Marshalls and other agencies were in route, JPD abandoned the parameter set, and disbanded the search. This shows that crime is not a priority for this administration.
It is my hope that every citizen in Jackson will reach out to their councilmembers and to the mayor and join the conversation. Let your voices be heard. Tell us what your priorities are and what they should be for this city. We cannot continue making decisions in a vacuum; we are charged to be good stewards of tax-payer dollars. We must do better together.
Kingfish note: Law enforcement officers participating in that night's events confirmed Mr. Banks's account of what took place on April 22. However, it is not known why JPD called off the search. JPD could have gotten intel the suspect was no longer in the area. We just don't know.
17 comments:
Finally an elected official with common sense. I'm finding it impossible to believe.
Banks for Mayor? At least he isn’t in lefty Lala land like the current version.
Mr. Banks allegation that crime is not a priority for the administration is demonstrably false. I know from personal knowledge that JPD’s Detectives work tirelessly to apprehend suspects who have committed crimes in our city. We need more Detectives, but the ones we have bust their ass to arrest criminals who commit violent crimes and other crimes.
Mr. Banks’ press release is full of cute sound bites that sound good, but what he’s really doing is continuing his relentless attacks on Mayor Lumumba. We would all be better off if he would stop running for Mayor and instead work with him to address the issues we face in Jackson.
10:13 keep dreaming. No person alive can "work with" that egomaniac. In the history of Jackson, he is unquestionably the worst Mayor ever. EVER.
Hard to work with someone who repeatedly accuses you of taking bribes. Good faith goes both ways.
There is no working with the boy mayor.
He was elected by the voters and they are the ones who have put all of his shortcomings into motion.
Mr. Banks PLEASE proof-read your releases before distributing them.
In route = en route
Parameter = Perimeter
Marshall = Marshal
10:13
Don't worry about Lil Choke, he will find a cubby hole at a radical leftist college and be fine. Meanwhile, Banks is articulate, straightforward and mature and as a potential Mayor, will be challenged to clean up behind this marxist boy mayor who is daily killing Jackson.
April 30, 2022 at 10:13 AM = Not so subtle Lumumba apologist
Are we about to see a Banks vs Stokes vs Lumumba for the next mayoral election? Either of those options significantly better than Lumumba and can realistically win.
12:38
(Not to diminish Stokes, who has been a stalwart recently)
Consider a Mayor Banks. A concept featuring a persuasive, realistic, grown up who knows managing a city isn't about Towers of Babel for a pretentious boy mayor to attach "I Did That" stickers to. It may be mundane short term, but if done well and steady, with leadership, integrity and focus, rewarding long term.
Let's Hire Banks for Mayor!
Good for Banks' acknowledgment of the problems. Now he needs to publish his solutions.
I don't think Stokes will run for mayor. He might win if he did, but it's more work than he wants at his age, and he's mature enough to know that. Either way, I'd still buy a Stokes cap.
Aaron Banks would make a far better mayor than Chowkee (who wouldn't?) and could also win. I'd like to see his plan and more details on priorities.
If there's another crowded list of unknowns and lackluster hopefuls, that would be to Chowkie's benefit, just as it was last time. But I don't have the feeling he plans to run. I think he has aspirations on the national stage, sooner rather than later. I also think he's oblivious to just how badly he's screwed that up.
great article by Banks, but don't get fooled. Yes, he is running for Mayor but no, he doesn't have the answers to deal with this city's problems.
Would he be better than Lumumba? Hell yes, but for that matter, who wouldn't? That's not the measuring stick to use. What has he done on the Council other than finally start putting a stop to the ridiculous shit being put forward by Lumumba? He never did this before when Yarber was putting up worse shit which besides was illegal on the face of it.
Jackson needs much more than Banks as Mayor to climb itself out of the hole it has dug for itself - a hole that was partially dug by Banks with his votes and support for the moratorium on water shutoffs over the past seven years. That in and of itself put the city in a position where it cannot provide potable water. Where it cannot collect and treat its sewage. Where it cannot pay the bills from the water/sewer funds.
What did Banks do about that? He voted consistently to not shut off people's water service even when they were caught stealing the water directly; not just saying you don't have to pay but allowing them to get off scot free when they were straight piping.
And he had his favorites at the billing department that had the 'star' by their name meaning they did not have to pay because they were, well - "special".
Don't get me wrong - he is a solid voice today against the idiocy of Lumumba. But he is far from the level that this city needs siting in the Mayor's office trying to deal with all the screwups that the city faces - many of them done with the aid and assistance of Councilman Banks.
Banks for mayor? Yarber Pt 2. - all the incompetence, but no booty chasing.
Jackson, please find a real candidate.
There are plenty of real candidates, but most all are white, and in a city 16% white, that ain't gonna happen. The professional black middle class hauled ass to the suburbs. Statistics bear that out. We are left with the HS dropouts and the bottom 1/4 of the class.
11:21 : cHARLOTTE rEEVES WAS NOT A "REAL" CANDIDATE MAN. LOL. No one can save the city of Jackson. A time machine to around 1980 to stave off the Xtacy and crack that ruined the brains of thousands who later made babies.
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