Community policing took a body blow last week when Mayor Frank Melton and Jackson Police Chief Shirlene Anderson—a man and a woman put there to be anti-crime crusaders—suddenly dumped the department's Crime Prevention Unit as of Oct. 1, leaving eight crime prevention specialists out of work with only days' notice, and saving about $275,000 in salaries. The eight employees learned of the job eliminations on Tuesday before their jobs ended on Friday; they are getting paid through Oct. 15. The budget awards $110,000 in raises to legal personnel.
The move is angering Jacksonians throughout the city. "The idea of eliminating the crime prevention unit is absurd to me," said Velesha Williams, director of the MetroJackson Community Prevention Coalition. "I think our governing body should (answer) to the people who elected it instead of itself."
Several dozen upset citizens attended a special city council meeting called by Council President Marshand Crisler on Thursday and even more packed the follow-up Oct. 4 meeting. The mayor is also cutting 10 other JPD positions, including officers at the city's detention center where suspects are held before being transported to the Hinds County Jail.
But only three council members—Crisler, Leslie McLemore of Ward 2 and Margaret Barrett Simon of Ward 7—were present to hear their concerns. Ward 1 Councilman Ben Allen was out of town on business. The other three—Kenneth Stokes of Ward 3, Charles Tillman of Ward 5 and Frank Bluntson of Ward 4—all signaled each other and got up to leave as the citizens started to come forth. Shortly thereafter, all members of the mayoral staff who were present—the mayor was not there—walked out.
The mayor had not told the council about the elimination of the unit in advance; all with the exception of Stokes said they learned about it through the media along with everyone else.
The Crime Prevention Unit was formed as a tool about a decade ago to help communities prevent crime by working with city residents to implement community-oriented policing strategies. The eight specialists, all certified by the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners, are often the first "officers" (although they're not technically police officers) seen by members of the community—the liaisons, in effect, between the neighborhoods and the department. Unit members organize and represent the department at community meetings about crime sprees, prevention and other concerns. They go to people's homes and businesses to instruct them on making their homes more secure and to give prevention advice. They also host educational programs in local schools, including Drug Awareness, Personal Safety, Stranger Danger and Law Enforcement Day.
Melton is skeptical about the need for such a unit, telling the media that he and other top police officials could visit schools instead and "mentor" the students themselves. Melton repeated the challenge at the Oct. 4 council meeting, asking McLemore to personally research "when was the last time the Crime Prevention Unit has been in a public school."
The specialists themselves disputed Melton's claims. "We DO NOT MENTOR ... we teach common sense approaches to preventing crime and ways to enhance the quality life in the community," said Precinct 4 crime prevention specialist Sheri Jones in an e-mail update passed around by Bob Oertel, moderator of Precinct 4's COPS program.
Precinct 2 specialist Sharon Sims said that the unit had planned a trip this month with 25 city students between ages 12-15 to discuss career choices. Sims said the trip is now canceled due to the shutdown of the unit.
"My decision is firm and final. That's all I have to say," Melton told the skeptical crowd filling the council chambers, while reminding all that the city begins this budget year "about $6 million in the hole." Melton also called upon council members to "show me the results" the unit has accomplished and then walked out before citizens spoke.
"I've got tons of e-mails from people from neighborhood associations across the city saying it's horrible that the mayor can come in and just disband a unit that has proven to be effective," said Bob Oertel, moderator of Precinct 4's COPS program. "They've been effective, and they've worked well for us."
Melton also announced last week that these duties would be absorbed by a new Quality of Life Task Force that would deal with many issues, not just crime, and work with agencies outside the city including the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, and the state Departments of Education, and Health & Human Services. It could be up and running in days, he said.
However, the task force idea was news to just about everyone—including those agencies, which had not been contacted about them. He had also not told city council about this new multi-agency plan.
On Thursday, Melton had harsh words for the city council members who had stayed to listen to the citizens earlier, saying they were "playing politics" and had allowed their "friends" to come there to criticize his and the chief's plan.
After the press conference, Anderson told the Jackson Free Press that the Council had demanded that she cut her budget somewhere, adding that the duties of the crime specialists are "redundant" with duties performed by other officers. She said the displaced employees could move to other jobs in the city.
Sims said Tuesday that she and the other seven specialists were not offered other positions, but were allowed to apply for jobs such as dispatcher. "This is not a guarantee that we'll get it, and even then these new positions are entry level, with a $600-a-month pay cut. ... I don't know how I'm supposed to support my children making that kind of money," said Sims, a single mother of three.
Correction: Sheri Jones' title was mistated above; it is crime prevention specialist. It has been edited in the above story.
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