State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.
Mississippi could save lives and money by increasing funding for law enforcement according to a new report released today by State Auditor Shad White.
“My office will continue to highlight the cost to taxpayers of the challenges, like violent crime, that we face,” said Auditor White.
According to research by the Office of the State Auditor, each homicide in Mississippi costs taxpayers between $900,000 and $1.2 million. Those costs include crime scene response and cleanup, medical treatment and compensation for the victim, case investigation and prosecution by law enforcement, incarceration for the defendant, and lost tax revenue. These estimates suggest taxpayers likely lost between $136.8 and $182.4 million due to homicides reported in Jackson in 2021 alone.
“Aside from the monetary cost, we also know that every life has value in God’s eyes, and every death due to homicide is a tragedy,” said White. “Now is the time to support the police in our state and put violent criminals in jail and keep them there. If we do not get tough on crime and stop the destructive catch and release problem we have, this report shows how costly it will be to Mississippians.”
The report also shows how Mississippi and Jackson—the state and city with the highest homicide rates in the country—could save precious lives. It is estimated that 100 new police officers on the street could prevent between 6 and 10 homicides
26 comments:
Compensation for the victims? So, the state pays for deaths? This is absolutely no deterrent.
The primary between Shad and Lynn next year should be interesting: a transparently ambitious youngster vs. a Boomer who operates emotionally and intellectually on the level of a teenager. Per usual, the voters will be the biggest losers.
It may cost the state tax payers but it has made the retailers (and sales tax collectors) in Madison and Rankin counties a ton of money.
So, spending more tax dollars on police in Jackson will deter homicides? Good luck with that. But great job with your groundbreaking research there.
"So, spending more tax dollars on police in Jackson will deter homicides? Good luck with that. But great job with your groundbreaking research there."
Yes, it would. JPD is short over 100 officers. The 911 call center is short 40 staff members. Increased funding would make Jackson and surrounding communities safer. Period.
And, the monetary cost not mentioned by Shad - how much potential investment dollars has been lost because the highest population center in the State has a per capita crime problem?
The 911 call center Is short 40 staff members. How many people does it take to work an office switchboard
Shad must not have anyone to indict this week. So, pander to the voters about something another state office should be reporting. Next year will be a hoot.
The highest murder rate in the nation puts a big dent on the number of Nobel Prize nominees.
Especially murder(s). 👌🏾
There is also a problem in how JPD compensates officers and detectives. In most large or major cities (I know Jackson is neither despite the major metropolitan murder rate) making detective is something to strive for and comes with more money. With the money and overtime, comes the pressure to clear cases and make arrests.
At JPD, making detective comes with two perks, 8-5 work schedule, and a take home car. The downside, no overtime.
A patrol officer has nearly double the earning capacity when you factor in overtime.
Thus, if you are a detective, you have no incentive to make good cases.
1:22 correct. Look no further than the state moving the building that houses DPS, Homeland Security, MBI, and other government agencies to Pearl. That is a lot of office space and revenue gone.
You can put 600 cops on the street in Jackson but if you do not change the DA's office and the judges in Hinds it will be a waste of money and time.
And I wonder how much white-collar crime Shad has been looking the other way. What a bullshit artist....he's talking about "violent" crime (as a distraction) when his office can't even go after the non-violent stuff happening on such a monumental level, it's probably costing Mississippians billions.
The fact that many of you Jacksonian's don’t like Shad is the very reason I do like him. Just because you guys could not read the tea leaves and get out of Jackson is no reason to criticize one of the best public servants in this (less than) great state of Mississippi.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair
vs
“I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.” Edith Sitwell
Jackson residents: Why isn't Shad after white collar criminals?
Suburb residents: Why isn't Shad addressing the horrors in Jackson?
Rational residents mixed among you lunatics:
Why cant we want both of those things?
Instead of blindly defending the type of crime that is committed (more commonly) by people who share your skin tone?
2:19 - How is that office space 'gone'? What revenue?
1:02, primary for what office? Shad should do a cost/benefit analysis for a firing squad to empty the inhabitants of death row at Parchman.
"...it's probably costing Mississippians billions. "
Yeah, right. As if Mississippians are walking around with "billions" in their pockets for someone to steal......
It only costs taxpayers. Criminals, illegal aliens, and welfare recipients don’t pay income taxes. They just file returns. Many billionaires don’t pay income taxes either.
I like what Shad misdoing across Mississippi but have to wonder how Ex Govenors Phil hasn't become more relevant in the various Appointments he made to State Agencies- there are many.
Since we are losing billions as a state, I say we declare ourselves to be a country and really pull in those big federal bucks. Re: foreign aid.
at 6:27 PM
Mississippi's "budget" involves approximately $23 BILLION in cash flow.... almost half of it from federal dollars. Let that sink in. Shad knows not to rock the boat too much, but he must stay in the news for election purposes.
Most of you have zero understanding of the federal ocean of money that flows through Mississippi....and 1) keeps it on life support and 2) provides ample opportunity for graft/corruption/malfeasance/fraud - and Shad knows all about it.
State of Mississippi - In 2019
• Net federal funding: $6,880 per resident
• Total revenue from fed. gov.: $37.8 billion (21st least)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2019/03/20/how-much-federal-funding-each-state-receives-government/39202299/
I told a few people my neighbor is going to challenge Shad in the primary. Anxious to see how high his demand is.
Vindictive.
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