Consider This: Reducing Crime Takes Leadership

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Jackson had another deadly week.

The city is on track to have its deadliest year ever and it appears the prevention efforts by city leaders are doing little to stop the violence.

As part of an investigation on the crime epidemic, we looked at the numbers by ward to find out where the murders are happening. The three deadliest wards were Ward 3 with 27%, Ward 7 at 25%, and Ward 5 with 20%.

We were surprised Councilman Stokes had no idea so many homicides were happening in his district, and he directed blame at the mayor, saying, “If any of these people that were dying was the mayor’s loved ones, he’d do something. He’d do something quick. It’s a shame we had to get statistics from Channel 3. Why, as a city councilman, I don’t know how many people died in my ward? You know, those are things that should be just elementary. You shouldn’t, you shouldn’t have to guess those things.”

The mayor, however, claimed Councilman Stokes has not reached out to JPD for help and went on to say they don’t even talk: “After several years of trying to communicate with Councilman Stokes, that isn’t the means that he chooses to move to advance the objectives of his community. So, I do not talk with Councilman Stokes. That is not based on an unwillingness to do so.”

If the mayor and some council members are not speaking, how can we expect things to improve in certain parts of the city? If the current homicide pace continues, more people will be murdered in Jackson this year than ever before.

Here’s an idea, if 50% of the murders are happening in two wards, how about beefing up police patrols in those areas? How about focusing on the gangs, drugs, poverty and blight in those communities?

That will take leadership and leadership involves speaking to each other and working together to create positive change.

Until that happens, we should not be surprised at our nearly daily reports of another senseless murder, another family member gunned downed on the streets of Jackson.

Quotes came from this report: https://www.wlbt.com/2021/08/25/jackson-councilman-responds-wlbt-analysis-showing-more-homicides-his-ward-than-any-other/

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