Jackson Jambalaya

We certainly don't need to ever forget the past; we need to learn from it and make the appropriate changes. HOWEVER, we don't need to continue to wallow in it, and that's all this article accomplishes. If you are not aware of the details of the atrocity in Neshoba County (and others), you are obviously an intellectual pigmy. If changes are needed, they need to be made. But there is no need to dredge up the past every time an incident reminds us of something that happened 60 years ago.

It is hard to get talented people to work in law enforcement in MS, because the pay is relatively low. There is not an easy fix for that problem.

Has anyone actually questioned some of the changes in the current legislation? Like why the Board is losing so many positions? And why MLEOTA gets a voting board position but NO OTHER full time academy will have this power? Where do they plan to get the money to pay investigator positions when Standards & Training is woefully underfunded & forgotten by DPS? If you look at their website, Standards is short staffed, has several vacancies, and missing the last few meeting minutes. Tindall has been saying all the right media keywords but has no clue what goes on with Standards - that’s no secret. The secret is that Standards needs more staff, better budgets, and retire the old guard that thinks along two lines: either don’t do it differently because it’s always been done this way or create a toxic environment & bully everyone who wants to bring the office into the future because of some massive ego issues.

It's amazing how we have been so conditioned to think "Law Enforcement Officer" means only one who enforces laws in the general public. The job also must include enforcing law against ANYONE including other law enforcement officers who break the law. In fact they should be especially mindful and specially trained to recognize and act when they see violations within their ranks. I know that is against the culture, but with proper training, and a practical and confidential mechanism for internal reporting that culture can change.

Well, duh. The cops have "wood" on many politicians.

"Senator, your BAC is .18%. Let me take you home. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."

"Rep., that isn't your wife. Just go on your way and this never happened. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."

"Senator, that 16-year old isn't your daughter, is she? I know nussing. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."

In my early twenties, I witnessed a phenomenon in Colorado each time I visited Lakewood,a Western suburb of Denver (contains Redrocks Amphitheater): the law all wore sport coat jackets, often with ties. I learned they also were required to earn a two year junior-college degree related to law enforcement.

This produced a whole other level of respect flowing both ways. The nazi-stazi atmosphere of a mean ass cop with rolled sleeves over pumped biceps whose shaved head only functioned to perch a pair of shades was erased. This new breed of LEO was cool, competent, professional. Admittedly, it may have borrowed from "Dirty Harry" panache.

So I've wondered if that prototype has worked elsewhere?

9:22 your comment acts like it's not a fact that JUST THIS VERY WEEK multiple officers are being sentenced to decadeslong prison terms for offenses that fall short of what happened in Neshoba County in the 60's, if only because in the Rankin County cases, the victims are still alive.

It is naive to form such conclusive opinions without understanding the concept of qualified immunity and its purpose. The law is in place to punish officers who abuse their position and refusing to give any deference to decisions made in split seconds often under duress is the proverbial Monday Morning Quaterback calling the plays that they feel should have been called, but with much more severe conseqences. Do not make the perfect the enemy of the good - which are by far the vast majority of those who serve to protect the ungrateful entitled public.

The stories of the 1964 civil rights murders should be recounted whenever appropriate, just as an account of the Goon Squad should be recounted for as long as necessary, until such time as the cloud of criminal and abusive acts are no longer an all too often a part of law enforcement.

To answer Sid Salter's Question: Because so many narrow-minded politicians believe supporting officers and shielding officers is the same thing and if they don't do one they will be accused of not doing the other.

It is hard to get talented people to work in law enforcement in MS, because the pay is relatively low. There is not an easy fix for that problem.

That's a man-made problem

The party that holds the majority in this state has demonized taxes to the point, where people no longer understand the importance of why we actually pay them

Add fuel to the fire, they give earmarks to bullsh*t and tax incentives to the wealthy and big corporations. So of course you get stuck holding the bag to make sure our firefighters, police officers, and National Guard are paid and have the proper equipment

We have the means to give decent salaries to First Responders, we just have a society that lacks the will to properly pay public servants

You want better public services? Stop cutting earmarks and subsidies for billion dollar corporations. Goobers

9:22 AM,
I agree . I'm 50 and this happened way before I even existed. No living law enforcement officer had anything to do with it. Yet it is dredged up every time something happens in Mississippi that is remotely race related. Every state and country has had things happen that were bad in their own ways. This is no exception. Forget about it. There are literally thousands of equally heinous things (by other races) that we can talk about, only they didn't get the media coverage that one did. These guys will rot in jail for many decades, and good for that.
Dredging up Mississippi Burning reminds me of a spouse who rehashes something you did years ago that you can't change.

Yea, lets keep talking about Emmett Till, Neshoba County and slavery while every inner city in this country burns to the ground.

I guess 397 homicides last year in Memphis is too boring.

193 murders in New Orleans just doesn't get enough clicks.

617 murders in Chicago puts people to sleep.