Consider This: The state is stepping up. Thank you!

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - State leadership is stepping up to help Jackson attack the crime epidemic. This week, Governor Reeves and Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell announced the expansion of police services for all state roads in the Capital City and the entire Capitol Complex Improvement District.

The district includes all of downtown, the area near Jackson State University, the Fairgrounds, the state museums, UMMC, and parts of Belhaven and Fondren. These additional resources will help free up the Jackson Police Department to concentrate on areas of the city that fall outside those boundaries.

As we have said many, many times: more law enforcement will not fix the myriad issues that are plaguing the city; issues that, ultimately, are an underlying cause of the excessive criminal behavior.

However, it will have an immediate impact on getting some of the people who are committing those crimes off the streets.

With state law enforcement providing critical resources to make Jackson a safer city, the mayor and council can now work together to implement those community programs that lead to sustained change. Stop talking. Start doing.

The WLBT studios are located in downtown Jackson, only one block from State Street and the Capitol Complex District. This initiative will make our neighborhood a safer place for our employees and help protect our property - for that we are grateful.

Thank you, Governor Reeves, Commissioner Tindell, Lt. Governor Hosemann, Speaker Gunn and all the men and women of the state legislature who voted to support this new law enforcement structure.

It’s been less than a month since it has officially been in place, and it is already showing huge promise in making Jackson and our state a safer place.

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