Jackson Jambalaya

I am just glad to see that old Armory building get restored.

EVERY soldier that fought in WWII came through there? Damn, must have been a pretty busy place back then Commish. Seriously, how could anybody make such an absolutely ridiculous statement, even Gipson?

Wonder if he ever bothered to check with the actual LEOs that he expects to operate out of his Command Center - now that he has declared himself in charge of securing Jackson.

Bring it.

The boy mayor could learn from Mr. Gipson

Will this be like Chowke's "real time crime center?"

He will need at least one bugler.

Seems like everyone is addressing crime and ponying up money except the Mayor.

Where are those crime stats, Mayor? I thought you were Mr. Transparency?

Will these criminals still be caught and released through the Hinds justice system?

First, he said: “Every soldier who fought for our freedom in World War II came through here, the Old National Guard Armory. There was a new war to be fought, and it’s the war against crime in the capital city,” then later, he said "Everybody’s welcome at the fairgrounds, but outlaws are not. And so they just need to know to stay away from down here. And if they do come, there will be consequences swift and immediate." So, I'm a little confused. Is it a war on crime in the capital city or is it a war on crime if you come on fairgrounds property? If it's the former, I'm on board, and where can I donate (over and above the already exorbitant fees I pay as a landowning member of Downtown Jackson Partners)? On the other hand, if it's the latter and if that means limiting "the war" to the Fairgrounds, you might as well save your time, effort, and OUR money! There are plenty more areas for these Jackson criminals to ply their trades than a small, normally-uninhabited, largely-paved section of a commercial area.

You want to get serious and put the old armory to good use? Start with Pearl and Capitol Streets, and work your way out. Unfortunately, those are only two, highly-visible streets of recent notoriety in a City of MANY, MANY, MANY other such streets! Since curbing crime in Jackson, MS will be much akin to trying to sweep back the ocean, what will be the planned limits of this crime center's reach?

At the end of the day, I wish this effort Godspeed! As there is currently no mayor, administration, other person or group of people in Jackson with the political or moral will to take on the level of criminality currently underway in this City, I'm hopeful this effort will realize some level of success. That being said, I gotta say I'm more than a little pessimistic about a possible positive outcome, because even though the vast majority of the people in and around Jackson fully understand the sources of the criminal activity, no one wants to directly confront it, so we end up with the same lip service "solutions" we've had for the last many, many years.

Guess time will tell, huh? Hope results, if any, come before there are no longer enough inhabitants left to support the functioning of the city....or have we already reached that point?

Perfect rooftop for drone swarm landing pads. China has been testing some amazing human hunting drone swarms. Perhaps he can get a few dozen “Spot” robot dogs from Boston Dynamics to handle ground interception and disarmament.

This building was part in changing my life for the better. Swore in there and now it's being used for something other than a progressive idea. Now, get to it.

So the old Armory building built in 1927 as an Assembly of troops sent off to fight in WWII is repurposed. So here's what you do. Once catching these criminal perps just put them on a plane to the Russian front. Whichever side they get to fight for will be determined by a coin toss once on the ground...over THERE. Gipson can proclaim "You want WAR? We'll DELIVER!"

What the hell does this do if they can't keep them in jail when they catch them ?????

There's a new sheriff in town...well maybe not a sheriff...a general... a warrior...an avenger....a guy with a cowboy hat....an AG commissioner?

Another low level politician with an oversized ego.

that’s future governor gipson right there. when he’s governor he will have the will to actually handle crime problems. i doubt our current governor has ever shot, or even held a gun that doesn’t shoot BB’s.

At least he's doing something. Our current mayor and admin continue to be silet and sit on their hands. This guy, like him or not, is putting his plan into action.

Commissioner Gipson would be wise to check in with Katy Blount - she's head of the Miss. Dept. of Archives & History. She's absolutely correct, of course, in her earlier post about the Armory being an historic landmark. The "Hinds County Armory," as it is known officially, was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 1, 2000. There are strict federal & state laws governing renovations to such buildings. Any modifications made without proper approval can be a felony & carry large penalties for the owner & contractor. I like Mr. Gipson & applaud his efforts to take back the streets, but he needs to chat up Ms. Blount, to say the least.

All Hat Gipson announces he's opening a new offensive in the Express Grain war!

Fixin' to make up ground he hasn't yet admitted he lost.

They need to do what they do in the Caribbean, send in the Marshal’s, FBI, National Guard, Military Police, and those who kick down doors, till the locals can get some control. Not a permanent solution but it does work. It was good to see National Guard on the street corners with M4’s when I came strolling out of a bar to head home.

Wow, I am sure that his declaration of war on crime will do a ton of good. After all, look at how well our previous war on crime worked. Same as our war on drugs and war on poverty. Good thing we are blessed with visionary leadership here. I'm so glad that the *checks notes* Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce is taking a stand by declaring war on crime. By making this declaration, the Commissioner must have been taking leadership notes from Michael Scott and his successful declaration of bankruptcy.

Ummm,yeah. While there MIGHT be some money to equip a Command Center from Homeland Securty, I seriously doubt that they will provide money to correct deferred maintenance and update a dilapited building. But nice try.

Disappointed he didn't announce that it would be called the Interpersonal Crime Correctional and Enforcement Building.

The steel/iron windows in the Armory are extremely valuable: restore them and paint flat black. I love that building.

So many know-it-all leftists making ridiculous comments here seem to fail to understand that this is for securing the MISSISSIPPI FAIR GROUNDS and he is not proclaiming that he is cleaning up The City of Jackson!

How could you all be so damn intelligent and miss that part?

There's a new sheriff in town...well maybe not a sheriff...a general... a warrior...an avenger....a guy with a cowboy hat....an AG commissioner?

As much as I like Tyree Jones, I would vote for Andy Gipson as Hinds County Sherrif in a heartbeat! LMAO!!!!!!!

Just to see him in that uniform wearing that 55-gallon hat would be priceless! ROTFLMAO!!!!!!

Andy is gonna fight criminals with fire and brimstone.

Maybe Shad should audit the criminals. He likes to spend his time on people that steal a few hundred bucks.

What happened to him instead aiming for the US Naval Reserve building?

Either way, I'm glad to see someone not sitting on his hands about crime in the Bold New.

This initiative will called Crime Under New Tactics.

I feel so much safer now.

I’m sure the Commissioner will check with Ms Blount & maybe even her husband Senator Blount before making any structural changes. But repurposing a historical building such as the old National Guard Armory to a joint law enforcement operations facility seems common sense to me. Unless you think allowing it to further decay from lack of maintenance serves a better purpose.

So when do we hear the Ride of the Valkyries followed by concussions of well placed HE rounds and bombs? As they say, there is no problem that can't be handled with the proper application of enough high explosives.

FYI, there's a reason untrained, poorly bred, undisciplined dogs end up in the pound.

I'm not a fan of the Commish, but I'm all for anybody and everybody who will fight this battle on crime. It starts at home and in the school system on one end, but we've got to fight what's already out there terrorizing our city.

P.S. Katy Blount plays politics and control beyond the boundaries of her job description.

I like the suspenders and the Stetson hat, he needs some of those reflecting sun glasses and a corncob pipe or better yet a big fat cigar....no wait, a big ole chaw of Red Man and a coffee can to spit into. Our next govna!

Could’ve Gipson articulated what he was saying better? Yeah

Is his heart in the right place? Yeah

Mrs. Blount (assuming nobody is impersonating her), are you the reason Belhaven has a bunch of bogus historic signs up around the neighborhood? Belhaven is cool, but it’s not Natchez, Williamsburg, etc. as those signs would imply if a visitor to the neighborhood were to see them but not take the time to read them. Also, how many times do people in the Blount’s part of Belhaven hear cars racing on I-55 or gun shots before Mr. Blount does/did something, anything? At least Gipson seems to give a crap.

David Blount went to Davidson. He probably wanted to be a politician since he was a teen before he had any real life experiences to cause him to think a certain way/be passionate about something. Obviously I have no idea anybody else is thinking though.

Gotta give Mrs. Blount credit for not hiding her identity like the rest of us on here.

@2:50
Wagner on mega speakers blasted up and down Capitol and High streets and into West Jackson, love that.

It's Katie Blount, not Katy.

Claymore mines remotely controlled from the new command center should keep things peaceful.

Anybody checked to see if all the applicable permits can be obtained for that building? Not too long ago some previous politician thought they were going to repurpose the facility and found out there were a bunch of environmental issues that have to be addressed first. That $6 million the Commish thinks he is going to get from Bennie's agency might be enough to put a tent around it to start the remediation. But better be careful if you start digging - just like a bunch of old buildings around here, ain't no telling what bodies might be buried.

Yeah, I remember now that this building was declared a landmark several years ago along with a old movie house in Fondren district....OH WAIT. Isn't that movie house being used and not sitting empty ? Honestly there are several empty buildings around the Fairgrounds that could be used. Chimneyville is empty. Hell, put the thing inside the damn big house.

All hat and NO cattle... or any sense.

Missus, tell your hubby to stand for a statewide election so we can all see who actually possesses the stones.

Look around Mrs. Blount, you haven't made ANYTHING better.

Anyone else find it implausible that Homeland Security is going to spend $6 million just to secure the MS State Fairgrounds? And I know the ag commission owns the fairgrounds, but what does this have to do with agriculture?

No matter the use, I'm glad to know that historic structure may see new life.

MDAH will ensure that the historic integrity of this old Armoury will be preserved.

Last time I was in there was back in the late 1980s,(when it was rented by a Hollywood company) to interview possible extras in the film "Mississippi Burning".

Oxymoronic anytime a Democrat shows up to give advice about how to make it better in Jackson.

12:56 and 3:11, that was not Katie Blount who posted above. As 3:26 noted, she spells her name Katie, not Katy.

Like someone else said above, I'm not a big fam of Commissioner Gipson, but at least he's trying to do something to help slow the crime in Jackson. The Governor and Legislature created the CID and have the Capitol Police patrolling the CID zone. Now Commissioner Gipson is bringing more LEOs to the area. But what is the Mayor doing or the Board of Supervisors ? Seriously, what are they doing ? The Mayor keeps saying his heart goes out to the victims of crime and their families, but what is he doing to prevent it other than just talking ? He keeps saying he's "talking behind the scenes". Ok but what does that mean and what is he actually doing ? I hate to be cliche', but talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words. Quit talking and actually do something.

In my opinion, the Mayor doesn't really want this job or the responsibilities that come with it. He just wants the title and the name recognition and to use the position as a ladder to a higher political office.

I know this will fall on deaf ears, but before you vote for him again, please ask yourself what has he actually accomplished and done to make Jackson better ? Are the streets better ? No. Are the schools better ? No. Is the water/sewer system better ? No. Has he created any jobs or brought any new businesses to town ? No. Has crime gotten better ? No. None of the problems with/in Jackson have gotten any better at all.

Preserving and re-using lovely old architecture around Jackson gives the city special character. The Armory is one of my favorites, in a league with the old fire station, the old Capitol and several others.

Let's hire Aaron Banks for mayor and sweep away Lil Choke and his crew, make Jackson safe, well managed and more prosperous.

This won't help squat..
You'll need to change the heart of the heathens!

This will keep Gipson and his big hat in the news.

That will help get Andy and his hat elected governor!

to the uneducated redneck at 1:05..........when you say ''they need to do what they do in the caribbean'',
mind you the carribbean is a big place, and where exactly in the carribbean are you running your mouth about?

He has already done more to prevent crime in Jackson than the mayor and the city council. Marches up and down the street does little to stop crime. Neither does praying for it to stop. Then again, maybe the prayers are working and Andy is the answer.

A "balloon release" would be much cheaper and they are guaranteed to stop crime, right?

Can he please STOP! He is a Preacher, Agriculture enthusiast and know a self declared Criminologist.

I support Gibson & his comments.

@11:25 am and 8:43pm. Does All Hat pay you overtime ?

The commissioner also appears to have declared war on gun shows at the Trade Mart. The promoters of the Jackson Gun Show were informed at the last minute that their permit had been disallowed, and they had to move the show to the Shrine Temple south of town this weekend. The promoter and vendors were not too happy about it.
I don't know if this is temporary or permanent.

This revocation was in reaction to the Mudbug Festival shooting, I should add.

@7:34 another clear indication the State Fairgrounds are not safe.