Jackson Free Press

It bugged the hell out of me when I got an e-mailed press release from Police Chief Shirlene Anderson's office late on July 3 with this subject line: "Chief Shirlene Andersons wants citizens to have a happy and safe Fourth of July Holiday… ."

Everyone makes mistakes, you say. So what if a holiday e-mail about fireworks safety misspelled her last name? What's the big deal?

I've thought about that error over the last few days, mixed in with my disgust at the mayor's treatment of two other powerful women: Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon and District Attorney Faye Peterson. Of all the garbage he has hurled at Peterson and Barrett-Simon to try to silence their criticism of the abysmal job he's done, why-oh-why would that silly typo get on my nerves so?

Because that one sloppy subject line says it all to me: Our first black woman police chief is not there to fight crime, to run a strong police department, or to even manage her own taxpayer-funded help well. She's not there holding weekly media briefings like her predecessor, or doing a damn thing to make the public feel confident in her abilities.

"Andersons" clearly is there for one thing: to enable Frank Melton to do what he wants. If she dared criticize him in any kind of meaningful way, she would not only be fired—she likely would be publicly harangued, lied about and proverbially stoned like an Afghan woman who dares to question the Taliban.

For years now, Melton has gone after the district attorney—a woman he clearly knows isn't for sale or rent. It must frustrate him to no end that she doesn't even follow what is politically expedient—as even the state's largest newspaper did to help him get where he is. No. Even as he has screwed up witnesses in her cases and spread vicious rumors about her, she has calmly responded by doing her job.

This is not what Melton expects out of his women. It must chap his hide.

In response, Melton plucked convicted felon Christopher Walker off his Carter's Grove sofa and put him in front of cameras to say that Peterson "f*cked Jimmy Jam." Not only did the most unreliable witness imaginable "talk up under a lady's dress tail," as Peterson put it, but he and Melton accused her of corruption, pledging an "investigation." But as we all know, Melton's pledges of investigations hold about as much water as O.J. Simpson's.

Meanwhile, the woman he swore to me could "prove" that Peterson is corrupt had no idea what he was talking about, making this accusation just one more in a long list of wild-eyed statements Melton has thrown out.

Fast forward to Barrett-Simon. The councilwoman was robbed at gunpoint in her Belhaven driveway; the next week, Melton flippantly opined: ""I am very sorry about the events that may or may not have happened over the weekend … ." Right, dude, she is the one with a long history of lying. He later snarkily told reporters about the councilwoman: "There is no story over there."

The truth is, Melton is nasty to people who dare to question him—but there is a special ugliness to the way he treats powerful women who don't worship at his throne. It's not like Leslie McLemore or Marshand Crisler are his biggest fans, but he's not holding press conferences to hurl this level of unsubstantiated rumor against them (for men, rumors tend to be reserved for whisper campaigns).

But with women, we hear loud tales about their sex lives or implications that they are hysterically making up stories about violent crimes. And much of the media—especially the Ledger, the Northside Sun and WJTV—are right there to give him the aw-shucks-that's-just-Frank pass that paves the way for his parlor games. They do that every time they pit Melton and Peterson against each other in a concocted grudge match, considering that on one side is a man who lies and destroys at will and, on the other, a woman trying to do the job she is legally required to do without getting into gross trailer-park dramas with the world's most bizarre loose cannon.

Yet, Melton's game gets reduced to a he-said-she-said contest rather than a sincere effort to hold Melton and his chief accountable.

Meantime back at the Grove, Chief Anderson earns her position by cleaning up the dishes after Melton entertains reporters—me, in April 2006—and baby-slaps him like a compliant aunt when he tries to do something illegal while out on one of his fun "raids." Back when he apparently thought I was hypnotized by his charm, he would call my cell phone and say, "We gone roll tonight, Donna. Come over to the house if you want to go." At his house, the chief would be there, shooting the mayor sharp glances as he chain smoked and told me stories she didn't think he should.

I still can't figure why Anderson couldn't tell that he reeked of liquor on my first ride-along with them, the night we busted into UMC after a young man was killed, gathering up his twin to go on the Mobile Command Center with us all, supposedly looking for the shooters. (We ended up parked in the middle of Northside Drive, as Melton, the bodyguards and dog Abby jovially searched random cars, as the twin angrily waited to go back so they could take his brother off life support.) All the while, the chief enabler waited by the door of the RV, looking disapproving in that way some parents do when they can't control their kids running amok in a restaurant.

Clearly, Anderson was put there to enable Melton, and it's hard to imagine what accusations could fly her way should she stop.

It took Melton's treatment of Barrett-Simon to get many folks' attention about his shabby treatment of powerful women—especially North Jacksonians, many of whom believed Melton's initial sound bites about running all the "thugs" out of town.

After all the shenanigans he's pulled—most resulting in mistreatment of poor African Americans and excuse making for young criminals in his house, who so clearly need help he can't give—it was his demonization of Barrett-Simon that made many people wake up (and, I suspect, drew that half-assed apology from Melton to her last week). I've heard many people say that he really "crossed the line" when he dissed her in such a way.

But that chivalry is overdue. Melton pole vaulted over the line with his ploy to turn a law-and-order district attorney into a cheap whore, and he set the progress of women, especially black women, back 100 years by forcing his police chief to parade around like an obedient maid, at his beck and call. Jackson women deserve better. As does the chief.

Previous Comments

ID

75087

Comment

Donna, excellent article! I don't know what the citizens of Jackson would do if we didn't have you and JFP telling it like it is----telling the TRUTH. His issues are boys not women--(sarcastically stated)

Author

maad

Date

2007-07-12T08:53:19-06:00

ID

75088

Comment

This is an interesting assessment ladd. Plain and simple, melton has a real problem with women who can think and who are not impressed with his tales. How did so many people fall into the toilet with this man? Could these few dollars that some people are making allow them to sell their souls and create a City wherein they will not be able to live in if things continue? Are there children/grand-children/nieces and nephews that these folks care about and have some concern about as they continue to stroke with endorsement and understanding? I guess for some, it just doesn't matter.

Author

justjess

Date

2007-07-12T09:36:04-06:00

ID

75089

Comment

You hit the nail on the head with this column. Even Shirlene and Frank can't disagree!

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-12T11:37:24-06:00

ID

75090

Comment

Great editorial! I'm glad I'm not the only one who made a link between Frank's vitriolic humiliation towards women who won't fall in line with what he wants and putting into positions of power women who won't question his tactics. I even wonder if his insistence of tearing down A1 Pallets has anything to do with owner Charlotte Reeves being a woman (she being the more public figure between herself and her husband).

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-07-12T19:46:08-06:00

ID

75091

Comment

How about all the forgotten women he's fired or ran off from the City. The list is so long, I can't remember them all.

Author

pikersam

Date

2007-07-12T22:10:39-06:00

ID

75092

Comment

"This is an interesting assessment ladd. Plain and simple, melton has a real problem with women who can think and who are not impressed with his tales." Just Jess Could that be why he left Texas?

Author

ChrisCavanaugh

Date

2007-07-13T01:30:24-06:00

ID

75101

Comment

We watched "Last King of Scotland" over the weekend. Amin's personality and the willingness of the people to follow him was all-too-familiar. Just sayin'.

Author

music chick

Date

2007-07-16T08:40:51-06:00

ID

75093

Comment

Ever notice how Shirlene never gets in front of a camera? And when she does she can't speak good English and doesn't make sense? I think its a combination of things, Donna, one being Shirlene is just too stupid to say "No."

Author

Puck

Date

2007-07-16T12:37:04-06:00

ID

75094

Comment

Well, I wouldn't say she is stupid. But she is certainly compliant. And she certainly doesn't tend to make sense in front of cameras; maybe that's why she won't do it. Of course, one must ask then, why is she police CHIEF if she is afraid to speak to groups and to the people through the media? It's amazing to think about the hell The Clarion-Ledger gave the last chief for not getting visibly upset enough about crime when he was holding weekly press briefings and started bringing media into COMSTAT meetings (I was the first - smile). It's amazing that they don't put her under the same level of scrutiny. Why?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-16T12:42:12-06:00

ID

75095

Comment

Chris, if I had to guess why he left Texas, I'd say it's because he found that he could be a huge fish in a small pond where the other fishies wouldn't question him very often. Remember what he said to me last April? "Who runs Jackson, Donna!?! I run Jackson!"

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-16T12:44:00-06:00

ID

75096

Comment

Then the question begs to be asked, what makes her so compliant? I could be going on a total tangent here and maybe this is a discussion you have already addressed, but what does he have on her? I mean, I know of no one - male or female - that would let themselves be run over like that and ignore things such as the liquor, etc, when they know that it could get them in trouble too? Does that make sense?

Author

Puck

Date

2007-07-16T12:57:19-06:00

ID

75097

Comment

I sure don't understand it, Puck, and I can't know if he "has something" on her. I, however, have observed on more than one occasion that people around Melton *act* like they all have stuff on each other. In other words, their behavior and decisions are so bizarre that's it's hard to imagine the motivation between their actions (or non-actions). This was apparent way back during the campaign, though, and I'm sure for years. That's why when Melton says that people who had known him for a long time got exactly what they expected (or endorsed), he's not wrong. What's amazing is that people knew what he was like and still supported him for mayor. It was as if an entire town was under a spell that made them believe that he, magically, could solve crime in 90 days. How? By moving every fatherless boy in town into his house and feeding them chicken? Please.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-16T13:05:12-06:00

ID

75098

Comment

Well I guess I've seen the same things - hell, who hasn't - but I was just focusing in on her due to the article. I shutter to think of what would happen if all his cronies were in office, which of course is possible sine the elections are right around the corner. Random thought, do y'all hae an election section discussing all of the canidates, their supporters and their statements? A few I already know about but I know there are quite a few that I'm lost as a goose on. I know I can't be the only person.

Author

Puck

Date

2007-07-16T13:24:57-06:00

ID

75099

Comment

Sorry for my horrible misspellings :) I hit submit before proofing....

Author

Puck

Date

2007-07-16T13:26:21-06:00

ID

75100

Comment

Shirlene owes Big Pimping big time. No one else would have hired her for the job. In the land of the blind a one eyed man with poor vision, no legs and a addled mind can be king.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-16T13:31:27-06:00

ID

75102

Comment

We have that at home waiting to watch. Maybe tonight. You make a good point: It's not like it's a new thing to have a charming public figure who hynotizes people to go along with anything he wants. And it never works out in the end.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-16T13:49:45-06:00

ID

75103

Comment

Knol, the comment I just posted is supposed to be *below* music chick's, which was just posted, not at 2:02 a.m. The bug bites again.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-16T13:51:07-06:00

ID

75104

Comment

Oh it is an excellent movie, Donna. I think there was only one scene that I had to leave the room because of violence/gore. Overall not as gory as I thought it would be. Forrest Whitaker is an amazing actor!

Author

music chick

Date

2007-07-16T13:52:51-06:00

ID

75105

Comment

I don't need to say more, but the reason Frank and Shirlene can still conversate and strategize is becuase neither have a clue what they're doing. If Frank had any sense he wouldn't have hired her in the first place, and he certainly would have fired her by now for poor job performance even if he's much of the problem. If Shirlene had any sense, she would have cursed Frank out long ago, put him in his place, or quit because of his inter-meddling in police work. Two nuts belong together. With Michele Purvis we will have three.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-16T14:41:10-06:00

ID

75106

Comment

The question, Ray, is: Where would Robert Smith fit into all this? Not to mention Tyrone Lewis or Lester Williams. The lack of clarity on that question is disturbing.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-07-16T14:43:22-06:00

ID

75107

Comment

I don't know the other ones beside Robert and Michelle. I'm convinced Robert would in the final analysis be inclined to follow his own better judgment even if it meant parting with allies or supporters on critical matters that had to be done right. He wasn't any pushover when he was a public defenders, and he clearly thinks for himself even if he will listen to others he admire. He stood up to judges and everyone else when he thought it proper to do so. I'm more worried about Michelle being the kind no one can tell anything, like Frank, more than I am aboout her being totally unqualified to do the job. I view her as an extreme person who won't be reasonable except with her friends. Her arrogant and surly temperament will be her down fall.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-07-16T15:20:47-06:00

ID

75108

Comment

Regarding Shirlene Anderson's compliance to Frank, I sometimes question if her testimony in the Meridian trial was the truth in regards to the MBN agents' job performance. Since she was under oath, I want to give her the benefit and say that her testimony was truthful. But it's hard to believe, given that her boss was sitting right across the room from her. Would she really get up on the stand and say something contrary to what her boss said?

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-07-16T17:53:13-06:00

ID

75109

Comment

your story and take on jackson leadership is absolutely accurate in my view - i never heard of hiring a police chief who was a day care worker type -for one of the most crime ridden places today - unless that chief is just a puppet for some never grown up, power struck person to play cops and robbers through-- and not very successfully i might add - and all the while bring a city to its knees with him. when are people going to realize we have a unbalanced man ,emotionally, at the helm of city gov't ? what more does he have to do to get the boot ? i've learned from this - we may need a new form of municipal gov't entirely-- hiring a city manager might be a good idea to consider=sans politics- sans temper tantrums and other antics of a 4 yr old to which i think we all have had quite enough.

Author

chatpearl

Date

2007-07-17T23:44:02-06:00