Jackson Free Press

Frank Melton cannot solve Jackson's crime. That is simply a statement of fact, not a criticism or a denouncement or even a denouement. It is also true that former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. could not solve crime. Neither could former Police Chief Robert Moore. And current Police Chief Shirlene Anderson can't, either.

Last week, after the JFP broke the story about a recent ComStat report, showing that raw crime data indicate a 16 percent increase in reported crimes in 2006 over the same period last year, it was like déjà vu all over again. All the media followed the JFP, pulling the crime report PDF off our Web site and making front-page, top-story headlines about how crime in Jackson is skyrocketing.

It was indeed important news. The numbers highlight that the Melton-Anderson team has been outright hiding vital information from the public—data we need to help police our communities and look out for each other and our property. It also shows that Mr. Melton's promises to play cowboy and rid the city of crime were naïve and empty. We can now measure the fact that his "raids" have not had the net effect of decreasing crime.

But if we simply use the report to bash Melton for what he is not doing, or not doing well, we are missing the most vital lesson that it offers. The truth is, this report should cause the entire city to do a bit of soul-searching about crime—its causes, its prevention, its effects. No one person, or two, or three, can take a poor city with the problems and history that Jackson has, talk tough and wave some guns around, and expect crime to go away. It's not that simple. It never has been. It never will be.

One word encapsulates what Jackson needs to fight crime. That word is community.

Melton won the election last spring based on empty rhetoric and sloganeering. Many of us remember his promise that he was going to rid the city of crime in 90 days. "It's over," he liked to declare. "Help is on the way."

Not really. What we got was a mayor who likes to play cops and a police chief who enables him to do what he wants, rather than stepping up and visibly leading the police department. Fighting crime doesn't mean Wyatt Earp tactics and midnight raids. Fighting crime means a smart allocation of resources, a commitment to community policing, and solid communications between the police and the citizens to help overcome fear and to empower individuals.

We have no real evidence that the team in place knows anything about criminal justice practice or theory, much less the particular problems associated with dealing with crime in a city with the particular challenges of Jackson. We have a chief who told the media last week that making more arrests raises the crime rate. It doesn't—ComStat measures reported crimes, not arrests. Year over year, reported crime is up in Jackson—it's a fact the chief needs to get right. (Click here for more details on the ComStat reports and how they should be used to allocate resources effectively.)

Jacksonians must realize that we are all part of the crime-fighting machine. There are many steps to the process—including former Chief Moore's "five steps," which were good ones, and then some. Crime will be with us as long as we ignore the conditions and the hopelessness that lead young black men and others to believe there is nothing better for them than a life of crime. Crime will haunt us as long as we make it easy for would-be criminals (including domestic abusers) to get weapons quickly. Crime will be with us as long as each of us does not step up and say, "What can I do to heal my community?"

Whether you mentor, demand full funding for the public schools, give money for community centers in poor neighborhoods, put up lights around your house and keep an eye out for your neighbor's property, or help demand accountability from the city—you can, and must, be part of the solution.

Meantime, we offer several suggestions that the city needs to put in play right away:

1. Police Chief Shirlene Anderson needs to start acting like a police chief, showing forceful and confident leadership, or she must be replaced immediately. She is not there to be Mr. Melton's baby-sitter. When Ms. Anderson was first appointed chief by Mr. Melton, the City Council shirked its responsibility to adequately vet Anderson's qualifications to lead a capital city police department. (See the Public Eye blog at jacksonfreepress.com to view her resume, which the city has refused to release.)

2. Crime data must be released weekly to the public, and not by some organization (like SafeCity Watch) that is likely to shape them politically in favor of the mayor.

3. The Crime Prevention Units need to be reinstated immediately. Those positions were vital to community policing, and we need good people filling those roles.

4. The recommendations of Linder-Maple should be followed by the current administration. This means a focus on increasing the number of police officers on the force, while creating a climate that breeds loyalty and discipline among police. (See No. 1.)

5. The mayor and police chief need to be before City Council weekly to answer hard questions about their crime plan—with no whining about "personal attacks."

6. The city needs to stop blaming past administrations for its own problems.

The Clarion-Ledger was wrong and uneducated in its glowing endorsement of Frank Melton last year—crime is not the No. 1 issue for the city of Jackson; it is the No. 1 symptom. Now that our reporting shows that the symptom remains serious, we ask the media not just to report those numbers in their signature sensational manner, but also to provide the context and a discussion of the solutions that good community journalism provides.

Finally, it's important for all of us in Jackson (and the Metro area) to recognize that we need to come together as a community if we're ever going to tackle crime in and around Jackson. Blaming others—including the mayor—won't solve any problems. To eliminate the symptom that is high crime, we need to diagnose the illness and then take advantage of all available treatments. And it will take us all—as a community—to do that.

Previous Comments

ID

72372

Comment

This article truly gives us "The Bottom Line" on this city's problems. I feel that the mayor should offer his support for the police department and not try to live out his dream of being a cop. I also agree that Anderson should either step up to the plate, or step down to a level that she is comfortable at. We as citizens are vital to the sucess or failure of this city. True.........we MUST become involved. Too many times I have personally seen citizens turn a blind eye to crime. We as a people are much too willing to not get involved, but would rather point the finger at someone else. If you see something wrong, call the poilce, or just do something. The police do not have crystal balls in their pockets. They can only answer when called. Equally as important, the police department needs to look within themselves and find answers to their problems. The criminal element is having a ball right now. They like nothing better than for people to look away when crime is happening. They simple love it when police officers are dispatched too late to make any difference. And IMO the officers that ARE really trying to make a difference in crime are not getting the support from within the department or from the public to make things happen positively for this city.

Author

lance

Date

2006-05-18T06:12:47-06:00

ID

72373

Comment

One of the most crucial points is number four. I used to work for the Austin Police Department in Austin, Texas as an analyst. One of the things that we did was look at how other cities with similar characteristics were doing things. I believe that Jackson has far fewer officers per capita compared to other cities with similar crime rates. Community policing usually involves more officers because instead of having officers just riding around you have them on foot and on bicycles getting to know the people and having more of a visible presence in high crime areas. The mayor has said that he is not considering adding additional officers. This should be a cause for concern. Of course, adding more officers will cost money so this will mandate either a tax increase or a budget cut in something else to provide for public safety. It is easier to engage in high profile symbolic acts than to take tough measures like budget cuts or tax increases.

Author

FreeClif

Date

2006-05-19T10:12:14-06:00

ID

72374

Comment

This article is very relevant to our problems in Jackson.

Author

FreeClif

Date

2006-05-19T10:20:59-06:00

ID

72375

Comment

Great recommendations. Most if not all cities that have been successful in reducing crime in a significant way have utilized community based policemen; crime prevention programs among youth; economic development and after school programs for youth; "citizens on patrol" who are trained to stop and report suspicious activities on a direct line to police; and yes --crime stats to reallocate police officers to "hot spots" in the City.

Author

realtime

Date

2006-05-19T14:42:48-06:00

ID

72376

Comment

Eek. The Melton schoolbus-hugging stunt is the "lead story" in the nationally syndicated News of the Weird column this week

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-19T22:10:25-06:00

ID

72377

Comment

Great editorial, and I couldn't agree more. We have a mayor who, while appearing to be more passionate about crimefighting, is proving to be about as inept as Barney Fife in his tactical skills. The citizens of Jackson cried out for bold, new leadership in the last election, but what we got is a demagogue, an empty suit full of soundbites and photo ops with no plan other than to dismantle everything set up by the previous administration, and a nearly invisible police chief.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-22T09:05:49-06:00

ID

72378

Comment

Great article; however, nothing new. This was the mind set of former Mayor Johnson as he so eloquently discribed crime as 'NOT THE PROBLEM but, "A SYMPTHOM OF THE PROBLEM." His focus was getting at the "ROOT CAUSES." What happened to this community that we can read the same things now and agree but, during the past election, the message and the work related to this message was seeminglyt falling on deaf ears and blind eyes? How did the CL make such an error. They knew FM and were privy to a lot of stories with evidence uniknown to "John Q Public." Some of this information could have kept the "dogs on the porch." Now the citizens just sit back and wait for the next bizarre rstory about this character that will aide in the removal of this "bitter cup." .....and by the way, WHERE IS FRANK MELTON??????????????????????

Author

justjess

Date

2006-05-22T12:23:37-06:00

ID

72379

Comment

I know. Everyone is talking about the obvious absence of Frank Melton right now. We're trying to find out where he is. But this administration doesn't tend to act like staffers of other elected officials and provide his calendar. They seem to think it's none of our business.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-22T12:28:42-06:00

ID

72380

Comment

Kim Wade is reporting that he saw Melton go past the tennis courts at P. Bridges Park in the RV on Sunday with about 4 other cop cars.

Author

pikersam

Date

2006-05-22T17:25:25-06:00

ID

72381

Comment

.....and by the way, WHERE IS FRANK MELTON??????????????????????-justjess I said in an earlier post that Melton would fade away into the woodwork until this blows over about his spat with the DA and the AG. I really believe that Melton is going to play kiss-up to the AG and try to get thing swept under the covers. I haven't heard or even seen him out lately at night.

Author

lance

Date

2006-05-23T06:36:04-06:00

ID

72382

Comment

According to one of the news stations last night (don't recall which one), Melton claims to have been in L.A. last week following up on his promise to bring high-profile entertainment to the Capitol City. Implied that he was using his connections thru MAP to get in contact with some big name entertainers, presumably hip-hop artists, that could perform here.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-23T09:05:37-06:00

ID

72383

Comment

Kim Wade might have been being sarcastic or tongue in cheek about seeing the Mayor this past weekend. I didn't hear him that day so I don't know, but I know how Kim likes to take digs at the Mayor and his Meltonmobile.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-23T09:08:16-06:00

ID

72384

Comment

I heard that Melton was in L.A., too, but I didn't hear why. That was one thing I heard. As for the AG, I'm concerned that he is not taking all this stuff seriously. It was ridiculous, no insulting, to tell the media that the answer was getting Peterson and Melton together. It's not like they're having a lover's spat. She presented legitimate concerns to the attorney general -- issues that are misdemeanors at least. Is the AG going to declare that law enforcement in Mississippi no longer charges anyone with misdemeanors??? Or will Mr. Melton get special dispensation, as has long happened with powerful people in Mississippi? Remember when District Attorney Peters made a deal with Frank Bluntson not to charge him in all the youth detention center scandals in the early '90s if he would resign from the city -- then hired him to work as an investigator!?! Hopefully, Mr. Hood realizes that we are living in another century now, and expect that our elected officials be held just as accountable as anyone else. He needs to do the right thing, stop the B.S. about getting the mayor and D.A. together and release a detailed report on every single issue and how the law applies to it. Nothing less will do.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-23T09:23:39-06:00

ID

72385

Comment

Also, would the AG suggest a sitdown between the D.A. and the mayor in such a situation if she were a man? I'm doubting it. He's treating her like a hysterical woman, while she's presented detailed actions by Mr. Melton that is endangering the safety and the rights of Jackson citizens. This is not some talky-huggy situtation. That's an insult.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-23T09:25:18-06:00

ID

72386

Comment

Also, I don't appreciate the level of condescension shown Mr. Melton as people treat him like a child who doesn't know better. He's a grown man with major responsibility. Treat him like a grown man with major responsibility. All those civil rights veterans didn't fight so hard for this outcome. Mr. Melton must be held to a high standard that, presumably, we would hold a white mayor to. Anything else is what the Buddhists call "idiot compassion," and it's not good for him or the city. And it would make Jim Hood look really bad.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-23T09:28:18-06:00

ID

72387

Comment

You are right. Regardless of ethnicity no one should get "idiot compassion". That is a very appropriate term! That's not what people fought and died for. It is apalling that people take our liberties for granted. That we have the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and the right to free speech and the principle that people have rights government authorities ARE bound to respect were the cornerstone of the American Revolution. Some think anything is o.k. as long as you are fighting crime or terrorism...that it is o.k. to lock up an American citizen (Jose Padilla) without any charges or access to lawyers for over two years. It seems that people are locked up locally for too long without trials. Hopefully this trend won't lead to people once again having to declare that they will "live free or die".

Author

FreeClif

Date

2006-05-23T09:59:21-06:00

ID

72388

Comment

lol..Frank's dog and pony show continues....

Author

JSU

Date

2006-05-23T10:01:21-06:00

ID

72389

Comment

I watch the City Council meetings religiously. The LA trip has not been discussed unless it was done in "closed session." Did the body guards go? This story does not follow usual nor customary protocol for procurement of entertainmet contracts. Is the mayor trading his police badge for a lobbyist button? According to Bluntson, "The Mayor just called me on my cell phone....." He went on with the story about the mayor being sorry for his absent from the council meeting (5/16/06) but, "He is working on a 58 million dollar deal for Farish St." It seems that Bluntson is so "happy glad" to be in City Hall rather than jail for his past crimes that he is willing to say anything. How soon we forget!

Author

justjess

Date

2006-05-24T10:32:20-06:00

ID

72390

Comment

This whole circus of idiots that love Melton makes me wonder where Frank picks his friends. This is starting to look like a close parody of the popular HBO series "the Sorpranos".

Author

lance

Date

2006-05-27T08:49:32-06:00

ID

72391

Comment

WHAT BUNK! There is no hopelessness in Jackson. Its unemployment rate is the one of the lowest in the state. The demand for unskilled labor is so extreme that after Katrina my roof needed replacing and after waiting several months the contractor sub-contracted to a 100% Mexican crew. 70% of crime is committed by the same people. We are not taking these people off the streets through convictions. The DA is incompetent. Melton is a clown/fool but he has that right.

Author

pneville

Date

2006-05-28T16:11:11-06:00

ID

72392

Comment

Hopefully, Mr. Hood realizes that we are living in another century now, and expect that our elected officials be held just as accountable as anyone else. He needs to do the right thing, stop the B.S. about getting the mayor and D.A. together and release a detailed report on every single issue and how the law applies to it. Nothing less will do. I agree with this statement, Donna. The AG needs to be on this, at very least issue a warning or tell us what's going on.

Author

Izzy

Date

2006-05-29T09:36:53-06:00

ID

72393

Comment

I don't know about the rest of your comment, Pneville, but frustration with the lack of convictions after arrests is something I can relate to. I do not know if this comes down to the DA or what, but time after time I have seen police officers presented with clear information regarding a crime only to see them do ABSOLUTELY nothing with that info. Even in some cases where we had the actual name and social security number of a criminal. Then we see the same guy the next day in the same neighborhood, scouting more appliances to steal. So I can relate to this anger. As for saying that Melton has "that right" to act a fool, that I can't agree with. Why does being a mayor give him "that right" to violate the law? Shouldn't he uphold it and be an example?For he will be an example no matter what he does.

Author

Izzy

Date

2006-05-29T09:44:10-06:00

ID

72394

Comment

Laurel-you missed my point Melton is a clown/fool but he does have it right that the DA is incompetent. She indicts literally thousands but never brings them to trial or loses. If she has no case she should not incict them or send the files back to the police for more evidence. These people are waiting trial on the streets commiting more crimes. She refuses any kind of help from the US Attorney, the Attorney General or the legislature. Jackson is held hostage to crime in the meantime.

Author

pneville

Date

2006-05-29T12:15:22-06:00

ID

72395

Comment

pneville, you are repeating something about the D.A. that many people say—but that doesn't seem to hold out to be true when you actually start examining the records and the facts about the cases. We're early in our historical research on the D.A.'s office, especially the current one and her predecessor, but it is really starting to look like this D.A. is much more effective than the last one -- a dubious honor, it seems, considering what a mess his leadership was. Your comment is one that is spread incessantly by supporters of the last D.A., or just people who hear it and assume it must be true -- but it does not look like it's anywhere near the truth. And it does not help anything, especially fighting crime, to spread unsubstantiated innuendo. As I said, this is an early assessment, but your unsubstantiated comment deserves some sort of response. We'll have much more coming up in the future on this topic.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-29T12:25:25-06:00

ID

72396

Comment

ladd-there are two facts that you should check first. 1. Are there several thousand felonies that have been returned by the grand jury but not tried? The Chief Justice is reported to have said this. If you are stacking up indictments but not bringing them to trial something is very wrong. No DA should return any indictment unless he/she is confident of a conviction. If the police/sheriff has not done their job the file should be returned for additional detective work under the supervision of the DA. This is elemental. 2. Did she refuse the help of the US Attorney? The US Attorney's office has a national program to prosecute gun related crimes. In some areas this has had the affect of radically diminishing gun crimes because felons do not want to mess with the feds. I remember the Attorney General offered to loan prosecutors to assist in knocking down the case load. I remember the legislature considered funding two special judges to handle gun and drug cases? Did she turn down the AG? Did she support the legislative proposal? How she compares to the previous DA is irrelevant. How she is handling the job now is crucial.

Author

pneville

Date

2006-05-29T16:04:03-06:00

ID

72397

Comment

We are checking all these things and more. And there is MUCH MORE than meets the eye on these issues and more. You'll be hearing more about this later from us. Keep an eye open -- but watch those assumptions and allegations in the meantime. I suspect that there is much you do not know. As for your last statement -- that is true, to a point. However, it is not irrelevant when you consider that she seems to have inherited many more problems than people realize that affect how effective that office runs today. Our early findings are indicating that she has done a *remarkable* job considering what she was confronted with. Again, think what you want about her, but watch what you say without all the information. Otherwise, you're just spreading rumors that don't help at all with the crime problem.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-29T16:28:01-06:00

ID

72398

Comment

ladd-it sounds like you made up your mind before you completed your investigation. I made up my mind from observations of the DA in action. She may have inherited a mess but my opinion comes from her handling of matters that arrose after she took office.

Author

pneville

Date

2006-05-29T18:36:35-06:00

ID

72399

Comment

No, I haven't. That's not what I said at all, so don't read in things you want to hear. I said that, so far, the evidence is not supporting what you're alleging. If the evidence ends up supporting your allegations, I will report that and in a detailed way that has credibility beyond empty allegations. But, in America, people are innocent until proven guilty. And the same standard applies to journalism.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-05-29T18:58:10-06:00

ID

72400

Comment

I would welcome an unbiased, unfiltered evaluation of this D.A.s record in office. I first became bothered by DA Peterson when she, in response to question about her conviction record as compared to the previous D.A. during the C-L "Patchwork Justice" series, she said she didn't know and didn't care to know. While I understood her overall point, it struck me as a very stupid response to a legitimate question. I have heard all of the allegations made about her and the defenses of her, and I'm sure there are valid points on both sides. I've heard her complaints regarding staffing, sloppy police work and inadequate jail space as contributing to the problems of her office. It's my opinion that the entire justice sysem in Hinds County is broken, and that the problems cannot all be placed at the feet of the D.A. This county suffers from a serious lack of jail space compared to the number of felons in the system, and it seems that the DAs office can't clear them out fast enough. There needs to be a serious effort to build more jail space, but with tight budgets I don't see the county spearheading that effort. I'd like to hear the DAs thoughts on that subject and possible solutions for the problem.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-29T23:05:14-06:00

ID

72401

Comment

I agree with ejeff1970 in that a very legimate concern is where are we going to put the people that are criminals? This does not mean that we should let them wander around free because of a lack of detention housing. I have followed DA Peterson (thanks to Melton's comments) and I also believe that she is doing a remarkable job once you consider all of the facts. We never hear about how many people that she DOES put away, we only hear about the ones that she dosen't. Melton has used his high-profile status to bash her and put his ineptness off on her. The main interest of this blog as I see it is Frank Melton. There woould need to be a paper solely dedicated to him to show those "blind" people just how much of a loser that he really is. He now as we all have seen, is trying to split hairs over words like "shread" and "tear". He still has broken the law. Mayby not legally but morally and professionally. With his long list of antics in just a short time, I fail to see what the holdup is with the AG's office. I voted for Hood because I thought that he would be a crimefighter, not a passive mediator.

Author

lance

Date

2006-05-30T07:21:18-06:00