Jackson Free Press

JACKSON—Local crime watchdog group SafeCity miffed the police chief, the Jackson City Council and many residents of all political stripes with its apparent stealth efforts to get the Legislature to create a discriminatory city "safety zone" that would have carried stiffer penalties for crimes committed in better-off parts of the city and allowed the state and the district attorney to usurp the chief's authority.

"It would put power in the office of the district attorney that the (state) Constitution doesn't grant him, and it also granted police powers to the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol," Jackson Police Chief and Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said in an interview with the Jackson Free Press, adding that the state has no business trying to enforce municipal codes or laws.

Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, authored SB 2991, but tabled it in his own committee after activists like Kamikaze started showing it around town early last week, and the Jackson City Council, as well as local police union officials, reacted negatively at a meeting Thursday.

The bill would have allowed the Hinds County district attorney to establish the Capital City Security and Economic Development Zone Task Force to coordinate law enforcement agencies' efforts to reduce crime in a central, gerrymandered portion of the city containing Downtown Jackson and extending up to Meadowbrook Road, and as far south as Oklahoma Street, near Highway 80. It also included Jackson State University, but little else in West Jackson.

"The bill was designed as a way to optimize a zone within the capital city that encompassed important institutions, such as hospitals and economic centers," said Safe City Executive Director Tricia Raymond. "I think it got sidetracked by different ideas of different people, but our concept was simply to improve public safety in the city of Jackson." Raymond added that the zone would have qualified agencies within the zone for more federal or private grants.

"In going after grants, you have to fit into the niche of the grants, and by creating a footprint, we could've gone after certain economic development type grants as well as criminal justice grants," she said. "Losing the bill was a great disappointment."

The first version of the bill also stipulated harsher, and possibly unconstitutional, penalties for crimes committed in the zone, including a 50 percent enhancement of the maximum penalties for certain criminal acts—meaning that people committing murder, rape, robbery and other crimes in the zone would have received harsher punishment than those outside it.

The earlier language also stipulated that "every person so convicted shall be sentenced to the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed in this section and such sentence shall not be reduced or suspended nor shall such person be eligible for parole or probation."

McMillin said he still opposed the altered bill, without the enhanced penalties, for a number of reasons.

"One of the biggest objections that I had to it was that it put another layer of bureaucracy in the law enforcement system. The way it was set up would prohibit the sheriff or the chief of police—or both, in my case—from allocating the resources within the department the way it should be. It would mean allocating resources into an area that has the lowest crime rate in the city," McMillin said. "I say we're in a better position to determine how those resources should be used than (legislators)."

McMillin said he would welcome more officers into the city, and would happily deputize the Highway Patrol to work for him if they would let him get away with it, but argued that crime-fighting efforts needed to be directed to all parts of the city. The chief also complained that the law would give unconstitutional power to the offices that shouldn't have it.

Local Jackson City Council members complained at a committee meeting last week that the law had crept up on them without their knowledge, arguing that SafeCity had not contacted the council about the bill, though Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill appeared to have knowledge of it, according to officials at that meeting.

The watered-down bill died in committee, however, leaving its supporters doing damage control. "On the public-safety side, the spirit of this bill was to leverage communication and data sharing among the many law enforcement agencies that already exist within the proposed zone," Chairman Mark McCreery said in a statement.

Alan Lange, a local conservative blogger and a SafeCity board member, would not comment to the Jackson Free Press for this story. As the JFP goes to press, critics are peppering Lange's blog with comments demanding to know why SafeCity appeared to work behind the scenes, without most council members' knowledge, in promoting the bill.

Others point out that Lange's home, as well as homes of some other SafeCity board members, happen to be within the proposed zone. Lange deleted the snarkiest blog comments (PDF) Monday, saying he doesn't allow blog readers to come "into my house" and "piss on my rug."

Previous Commentsshow

Deputizing the Highway Patrol?! *snicker* Malcom McMillin-- telling it like it is one more time.

gipper

Feb 26 2008

I was appalled when I heard this, especially when only certain parts of the city would be in the zone. Why not include all of the city when the proposal was made? The way I interpret this, there are some racial undertones, given that since most whites in Jackson live within the zone, they deserve more protection that the rest of the city and that crimes committed in these areas would have harsher penalties than elsewhere. If a crime gets a harsher penalty in Eastover, it should carry a harsher penalty in Virden Addition.

golden eagle

Feb 26 2008

In the wisdom of Nelson.... "Ah ha!"

pikersam

Feb 26 2008

Notice the SafeCity types have been quiet about the Civil Rights Museum too. They probably don't want all that "black history' in their 'idea' of downtown! Sorry, I just had to take the swipe.... Back to the regularly scheduled blogging.

pikersam

Feb 26 2008

BTW: I realize that their are a few good people over at SafeCity... But, those who know, know whom I'm speaking of. Also, take a look at their "Guiding Principles" SAFECITY has but one primary purpose - to make MetroJackson a safe place to live for each and every citizen regardless of where they live, what they do, or who they are. SAFECITY is a “new model” for a healthy community that is truly grassroots and reflective of the needs and concerns of common, everyday people. SAFECITY has no opinion on outside issues; our focus is strictly on the criminal justice system and its reform. We are associated with no other organization, have no political affiliations, and have but one common objective - to significantly and positively impact the quality of life in MetroJackson. The only requirement for SAFECITY membership is a desire to made MetroJackson a safe place for all. To this end, we have a Code of Ethics which governs who we are and how we work: Principle Before Personality – Personal agendas can not, and will not be a part of SAFECITY. Our sole reason for being is to make our communities safer places to live with the quality of life that we deserve! Principles Before Politics – We do not care what political party a public official belongs to, or what their stance is on non-crime related issues. If a public official wishes to productively and honestly deal with the issue of crime, SAFECITY will be their best ally. Um mm....err...FAIL!

pikersam

Feb 26 2008

Wacky stuff, huh? Certainly, there are some good folks on the SafeCity board. (Note there are five pages to click through.) It is really hard to believe that most of those people even knew about the specifics of these bills. We havent had time to call them all, yet, but we'll keep working on it. We all really need to know how something so openly egregious ended up actually being put into print. It's remarkable that they didn't see the inevitable fallout on trying to pull such a thing. Betcha money a couple of them came up with this, and the others will be surprised by the specifics. We'll see. Hat tip to Kamikaze, by the way, for getting the word out on this so quickly. He's all over the place these days. I didn't know how awful it was, though, until a group of cops crowded into my office Thursday and spread the map out on my desk. One of them pointed to an area of West Jackson just outside the safety and asked simply: "What about these people?" Those cops happened to be black (not that you need to be in order to outraged by this monster), and they looked hurt as much as anything. "How can they even consider doing this?" one of them asked. Then the power went out, and we kept looking at the map by candlelight, but that's a different story. ;-) Also, it doesn't seem politically astute for Robert Smith to agree to this kind of bill. We'll try to get his comments as well. Did he know what what was in it? And what in hell did people expect the sheriff, and the Council, and Jacksonians, to say about such an abomination!?! Just when I think this state can't surprise, something this caveman pops up. Wow.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Oh, and I love this from the "guiding principals": for a healthy community that is truly grassroots and reflective of the needs and concerns of common, everyday people. Uh, huh. Got it.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Just checked the proposed 'area' in the bill, and yes, certain board members houses are in the 'the zone.' Crazy, wacky stuff indeed!

pikersam

Feb 27 2008

Another of Senator Fillingane's bills, with similar priorities--SB 2896--died in committee today.

Tom Head

Feb 27 2008

This is preciscly the type of crap that makes progressive people think twice about moving to Jackson. Just as we are making so many positive changes, you have these idiots- some of whom are my neighbors- support a bill that divides this city, literally. I was a proud South Jackson, Cedar Hills resident for 10 years and moved to Fondren, Broadmeadow 3 years ago. I moved for various reasons but mostly because Fondren reminded me most of the Midtown Memphis neighborhood I grew up in. I didn't know at the time how often I would have to deal with the subtle and in-your-face challenges to diversity (racial and soci-economic). But I will continue to fight on as many levels as I can. I hope all who consider ourselves progressive Jacksonians will not allow Safe(for the Chosen Few)City and other NEJxn-ers to hold on to their perceived power over this city.

urbangypsy

Feb 27 2008

It also won't hurt to remember that SafeCity first operated as a rather open way to criticize the former mayor and police chief (and Melton was listed on its earlier masthead). It did grow out of the Metro Crime Commission, was was political in ways we're still figuring out. (Seemed to be the only real "response" to the Juvenile Detention Center mess, if you can call it that—considering the alleged cover-up around that situation.) I like Rick Whitlow as a person, but remember when he was the director of SafeCity and served as a media attack dog against the former mayor/chief? Fortunately, some good people involved with it when it first formed have distanced themselves from the group since then. And, overall, it has seemed that the group has become a bit better in recent years, even daring to criticize MCC darling Frank Melton on occasion. Some bad apples are on the board, but it seemed like the utter failure of Melton had humbled them of late. How wrong those folks were on that front. But how in the world the board would either author and/or sign onto such amazingly divisive and disgusting language is beyond me. And how in God's green acre could it approach being constitutional?!? THIS, people, is why others go around complaining about the WPS (this board is majority-white to "watchdog" a majority black city, after all), and why Jacksonians have a hard time trusting the state when it comes to treatment of this state. And where Fillangane gets off introducing such legislation against our city is mind-boggling. Surely to God, somebody involved with all this knew better. If not, it sure does show why Mississippi still has a backward reputation -- because people like this try to pull such dumb crap.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Oh, and what grants are we going to miss out on because we don't declare that one part of the city is more important than another? That sounds like a Council of Conservative Citizens grant. Would we really *want* such money? If he weren't busy with other things, one might think that Ed Peters was in the background trying to get power for the D.A. he helped get elected. After all, the MCC-SafeCity folks have long been tight with him, right?

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Thanks for the link, Tom. Throw us the link to 2991 if you have it. I'm sure Adam does, but you might have it at your fingertips.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I was surprised by this story when I first heard about it Monday. Giving the Highway Patrol unprecedented police powers within the City of Jackson is bad enough, but that gerrymandered district focused on the predominantly white areas of the city really angered me. Hats off to the Chief-Sheriff for opposing this as well. This initiative is so blatantly prejudicial towards wealthy white neighborhoods and businesses that I’m amazed that it got as far as it did. Oh wait, this is Mississippi…what am I saying?

Jeff Lucas

Feb 27 2008

Right, Jeff. The gerrymandered part just looks like plain old racism. But the part about giving Highway Patrol control over the city, and McMillin, reeks of an attempted coup. There have been rumors that McMillin is working with powers that want to take over the city for rich white interests, but this move indicates otherwise. I would think he's pretty perturbed at the SafeCity masked crusaders about now. Oh, and seeing that helicopter man Coyt Bailey made me wonder if the Metro One copter would only fly over certain neighborhoods should this happen. And you're right: It's a blatant slap at the black community. There's no denying that.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

If the Legislature is SO damned concerned about improving public safety in Jackson they should offer to pay an annual fee to the City for all of the State owned land within the city limits that is exempt from city taxes, especially valuable downtown properties being gobbled up by the State. The additional revenue could go a long way towards hiring more police.

Jeff Lucas

Feb 27 2008

The shine sure does come off the penny quickly when conservatives in this city beat down their own who step up to call them out when the bullpuckey is clearly bullpuckey. Alan Lange's modus to escape the critical gaze of scrutiny within his "nation", as the hackneyed sloganeer is so fond of calling his online domain, was to dispatch the offending messenger with a swift kick from his own well worn jack boots. Then Lange pounds his chest and barks that he'll be the only one to whiz the bushes, trees and light posts of the nation. If you know what I mean. Ruff, ruff. I consider myself a socially moderate fiscal conservative. By his actions of the past few days I finally understood that Lange isn't a conservative, he's a zealot.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

These issues sould like ones that would have commentary from the mayor. He is silent on something that would have such a negative impact on most of the residents of this city. This is one of the reasons, in my opinion that he is still in office: Nothing sticks because he is protected. The unfolding of the "Major Plan" for Jackson continues to remind me of how and why the Johnson Administration was toppled. Shame on SafeCity. I don't know how Safe they are but, I do know how Unfair they are.

justjess

Feb 27 2008

Organizations like Safe City are dangerous groups because there is zero accountability moderating their actions. They use the fear of crime to build their war chest then quietly funnel off a portion of those tax deductible non-profit dollars contributors thought were going to fund helicopters and databases to employ high paid lobbyists. Why is a non-profit like Safe City funding three lobbyists to move surreptitiously behind the scenes in concert with the chairman of the Senate's Jud A committee to bring legislation quickly to the floor for debate and a vote beyond the reach, and without the prior knowledge, of every one of our elected representatives except for Jeff Weill? Further, what did Mr. Weill know, when did he first become aware and why, upon learning, did he not immediately demand that Safe City stop, or go into a holding pattern, because he clearly knew that evaluation and discussion of the legislation had not taken place by his Council colleagues during their legislative planning meetings in the run-up weeks leading to the current session. That bill wasn't innocent and the introduction was no accident.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

He really calls it "the nation"?!? That sounds like a rip-off of Ben Allen calling JFP readers "the JFP nation." ;-) Who are the lobbyists, GeoRoss? Certainly, there wasn't anything "innocent" about that bill. It's one of the most outrageous things I've seen in this state in a long time. It rather reminds me of that column that Wyatt Emmerich allowed in his paper (and even gave an award to!) that criticized naming the airport after Medgar Evers and morphed into how blacks should give thanks every day for slavery because of all the opportunities they have today. The crazy part is that no one seemed to challenge him on it, but us. No outraged letters to the editor, nothing. We went after it hard, though, and to his credit, Emmerich posted here admitting it was a mistake. So at least he had the class to do that. But with stuff like this happening—and so many in the white community not even seeing how disgusting it is—how in the world can we argue that our state has changed!?! Of course it has in many ways, if not everyone in it. And those people make us all look bad, especially if we're white.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I think the bill is an excellent idea. More protections are needed to get people to come visit Jackson -- and the protected areas are those where tourists are most likely to go. Once crime is under control in the selected area, the areas may be expanded to include others.

QB

Feb 27 2008

So, it's worse to kill a tourist in Jackson than a poor resident (or a white suburban kid outside the zone trying to buy drugs)? Please. A crime committed in Eastover or Fondren is no different than a crime anywhere else. And the people in those areas don't get to demand special privileges for themselves by getting some Sumrall guy to introduce such an awful bill. This is the kind of crap that will keep people *away* from Jackson. At least people who don't have Citizen Council sensibilities. And I don't say that lightly: The bigots of old talked all the time about how crime was ruining certain parts of town, while not worrying about others (even as their rhetoric helped white criminals justify their own crimes). It's a ridiculous bill on its face. And racist. It sends the exact wrong message about Mississippi: that we haven't changed. That. Is. Tragic. SafeCity should issue a public apology for setting us back 40 years. Or trying to.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

And I guess that would exclude tourists of color? Because I already have a hard sell trying to convince my friends that this is the "New Mississippi". Having a line drawn to protect the mainly white areas of Jackson with a 50% enforcement of harsh penalties for crimes committed in this zone instantly sends up a flag for increased RACIAL PROFILING to me. And says that black people on the Southside don't deserve equal protection under the law. Guess its not so new after all...

urbangypsy

Feb 27 2008

Well, the good news, I guess, is that they had to withdraw it. And it's heartening to see many conservatives come out against it. Increasingly and gradually, the folks who support racist policies are becoming more isolated, as the state evolves. And to be honest: It's good to know who those people are.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Fat Harry: Proposing a racially-charged bill like this in Mississippi is the height of stupidity. Because you know (if you've read any comments here) that no matter how pure you think your motives are, in reality they are as backwards and offensive as racism can get. When you look at this bill, it reads exactly like that.

Ironghost

Feb 27 2008

The bill included areas like Jackson State and Highway 80. Also, look at New Orleans -- why do you think they ramp up police protection in the French Quarter and CBD? Those are 'white' areas, but also that is where the tourists go. Instead of looking at this from an economic standpoint, the usual crowd of whiners comes out and once again the crime problem is left unaddressed.

QB

Feb 27 2008

This bill wasn't about "ramping up police protection," FatHarry. The problem with this bill is that it is blatant. It's hard to pretend it's anything but what it is. I can believe that, along the way, someone had decent motives. But they definitely let some idiot get their hands on it and add ridiculous language that couldn't possibly pass court muster, even if it weren't so racist and classist. The language about sentencing itself showed that morons were involved. You can't tell a judge how to sentence. Americans have constitutional rights. This isn't Nazi Germany. I'm guessing there is major embarrassment among some of those board members today. I still can't imagine that all of them signed off on this. Seriously, a public apology is about the only thing that could take some of the sting off this boondoggle. And one without excuses about their intentions.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

We're not whining--we're asking questions as to why certain areas of this city are being treated differently than other areas. Why should selling drugs or breaking in to a house Eastover get a harsher sentence than the same activity in Presidential Hills or the Queens when they all fall in the same jurisdiction of the city of Jackson? And we are looking at the economic standpoint: if you're wealthy, you get extra police protection; if you're poor, wait one hour after calling 911 and hope you're still alive.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

Give Fat Harry credit for admitting what Lange's Rump Nation spent the last 48 hours running away from acknowledging ... that the zone was to protect investments and investors first, foremost and primarily, tourists secondarily while relegating those outside the zone to some type of afterthought best-efforts when JPD gets-around-to-it status. Let's lay it on the line. The bill was a racist and nakedly audacious attempt to create a south-north exclusionary corridor ... from the redevelopment acreage north of JSU to the northern edge of the Fondren business district with a detour over to cover Duckworth's next big thing on the I55 frontage @ Eastover ... within which black males, should they commit a crime, would be severely punished. How else, please, how else do you explain both the boundaries and the harsh penalties? Take it from this conservative. Senate Bill 2991 can not be defended. Period. Amen.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Speak, bro.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Donna wrote: Surely to God, somebody involved with all this knew better. What is more frightening in my mind is that the Safe City cabal -- and I too have a hard time believing their board approved that bill and plan -- actually thought they could get away with it. Meaning, they did know better and still moved forward with their plot because they truly believed they had purchased the influence muscle sufficient to achieve their goal. Jeff wrote: This initiative is so blatantly prejudicial towards wealthy white neighborhoods and businesses that I’m amazed that it got as far as it did. How terribly sad it is that yesterday members in good standing of the Rump Nation were couching the plan as an overdue "paradigm shift". Please hear me my fellow Jacksonians, I beseech you, these neanderthals DO NOT represent all of the conservatives in Jackson.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Great PDF... Let me get this straight ... Jacktown601 got booted because he called Safe City "whackos" for writing this bill?? "Whackos"?? People over there call each other and Democrats worse than that all the time and don't get kicked off...WTF? It was a WHACKED bill... Who else but WHACKOS could push it ??

gipper

Feb 27 2008

I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here, as I think there is often way too much groupthink on these boards. Of course this bill would never pass. No point in including residential areas like Eastover if the bill was truly to only protect tourist/investment areas. Now, a downtown crime district -- that actually conforms to the borders of Downtown Jackson -- might be more palatable to the people here. Something like that could go a LONG way towards removing the stigma of "downtown = crime" that many people share.

QB

Feb 27 2008

Please hear me my fellow Jacksonians, I beseech you, these neanderthals DO NOT represent all of the conservatives in Jackson Don't worry, Geo. We believe you. Some of my best friends (and best readers) are conservative. (Actually, nearly half our reader audit as conservative). I know that not all conservatives think this way. That's why it's good to know who the neanderthals are who are making everyone look bad. And although I'm not conservative, at least by GOP platform standards, the same thing goes for being white. Nothing offends me more than a small-but-noxious group of white people trying to make us all look bad. So I will alter your statement slightly: Please hear me my fellow Jacksonians, I beseech you, these neanderthals DO NOT represent all of the white people in Jackson. Not by any stretch. And I urge everyone, conservative, progressive, liberal, black, white, whatever, to speak out against every effort you see to make us look like we're still pining for the glory days of 1954. *Nothing* could be better for Mississippi than that kind of solidarity (which was captured Monday at Smith Robertson at the civil rights museum press conference, btw. Funny: I don't remember saying any SafeCity folks. Maybe they were hidden in the back.) It is a new day. Damn it.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I'm not sure how much "groupthink" it takes to see the problems with that SafeCity thing, FatHarry. And thank God for that kind of groupthink; makes up for some of the groupthink of the past.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Please hear me my fellow Jacksonians, I beseech you, these neanderthals DO NOT represent all of the conservatives in Jackson. I know all conservatives don't subscribe to this, but to me, this is neither or conservative or liberal issue; it's a matter of right and wrong. We should all regard right and wrong irregardless of political stripes.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

But I think it is worthwhile to present the arguments of the "other" side, at least to foster thinking and creativity. But as you are moderator, if you disagree, I will discontinue.

QB

Feb 27 2008

Something like that could go a LONG way towards removing the stigma of "downtown = crime" that many people share. What will help in removing that stigma is educating the public that crime in downtown is lower than in any part of the city.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

I'm not stopping you. We always seek and allow response (such as in the article itself above). People never get zapped for opposing views; only for acting like childish fools. You haven't done that. What is the "other side" on this?

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

GeoRoss- thank you for your thoughts. I only hope more conservatives will be vocal with their opposition too. This bill is very scary for me- a 30-something, black, female homeowner in the Fondren area. I can only image what my former neighbors in Cedar Hills (where my ex felt safe enough to leave the door unlocked) are thinking of the rest of NE Jackson. And I agree Donna- yes, thankfully it has been withdrawn and yes, all of Jackson needs an apology from SafeCity.

urbangypsy

Feb 27 2008

What will help in removing that stigma is educating the public that crime in downtown is lower than in any part of the city. Right, Golden. And stopping media hysteria that deals more in perception than reality. But we have some pretty uneducated people in positions of media leadership here that they could not resist lifting Chief Moore out of context on this point way back when. Now, McMillin is saying the same thing, and they're not so hard on him. That may be due to the institutional racism at the Ledger and such, but the point is still good regardless. It is factual to say that downtown Jackson is one of the safest places in the Metro. Has been for years, even if that doesn't serve the agenda of certain people and talk-show hosts.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

"What will help in removing that stigma is educating the public that crime in downtown is lower than in any part of the city." So you would be opposed to creating a Dowtown Crime District? I mean, educating the public is a noble idea, but how would you do it?

QB

Feb 27 2008

We are doing it. We just have to keep yelling louder than some of the local morons. Why do we need a Downtown Crime District again? Because misinformed idiots are going around overblowing crime downtown; thus, we need to form a special district to act like crime is more important in the business district than in people's neighborhoods? Not quite buying that. Sorry. Have any better reasons in your arsenal?

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

You know what else might improve safety? Let's create a "Suburban Safety District" in which people caught using cell phones while driving, tailgating, speeding and not using their turn signals while commuting within the safety zone are sent to prison without parole. They might improve safety in the 'burbs, as well as the perception of it. I sure would feel safer if some Suburban didn't reel toward me out on Lakeland with some dude on a cell phone driving it. I might shop there more as a result.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I guess the word o' the week is "miffed," huh? First, Adam above yesterday: SafeCity Miffs McMillin, Residents by Adam Lynch February 26, 2008 JACKSON—Local crime watchdog group SafeCity miffed the police chief, the Jackson City Council and many residents of all political stripes with its apparent stealth efforts to get the Legislature to create a discriminatory city “safety zone” And today, Leah Rupp in a Ledger Web update: The legislation miffed some officials at the Jackson Police Department, City Council and the Jackson Senate delegation, though, as they said they weren’t consulted about its contents. (emphasis ours) And this is far from an apology, per McCreery: In a press release, McCreery said the reason the city’s delegation wasn’t notified was because “in past legislative sessions... legislation is very difficult to pass without the votes of the legislators outside city limits.” “This strategy did not work this year due to the compacted schedule for the Legislature which puts at a disadvantage in properly coordinating... with the Jackson delegation. We will certainly work with the local delegations to improve this bill and hopefully make this concept a reality in the next Legislative session,” he said.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

So, let's recap: Their three lobbyists and five pages of board members did not have time to call six City Council members to discuss this, or seemingly the police chief? And the reason it didn't pass was due to "the compacted schedule"—not because it was a pile of racist poo? Right-o.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Is that the solution Harry? It is going to take a special zone, a show of police force bordering on a state of siege and criminal penalties that go beyond corrective to retributive in order to make people comfortable downtown? Heck, why not legislate the creation of a special paramilitary force to be stationed with automatic weapons at every intersection? Maybe we should have checkpoints to get into and out of downtown? Laugh if you must and I admit to being sarcastic. But Safe City was attempting to take us not too far from that same direction.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Well, their cowboy mayor in his Midnight RV Express yelling at drug dealers to get out of town by sundown (or move in with him to be rehabilitated) didn't work so well, so they had to something, right?

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

So you would be opposed to creating a Dowtown Crime District? I mean, educating the public is a noble idea, but how would you do it? Yes, I do oppose a downtown crime district. Why would downtown need a crime district of its own? Would the penalties for committing a crime there be different as it would be in other parts of the city, as SafeCity proposed with the zoning of downtown, Fondren and northeast Jackson? As far as educating the public, Donna said it best: "(S)topping media hysteria that deals more in perception than reality." When you're barraged with a constant stream of crime stories after crime stories, it's easy to perceive that Jackson is as dangerous as Baghdad and that people will be shot if they so much stuck their big toe outside the door.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

Right, golden, and if we haven't learned by now in this city the danger of believing hype without facts behind it, when the hell will we learn it? And I suspect more lessons lie ahead ... But folks like Geo give me hope. I do think that the only thing that will change this city from being a hype-machine is for people to continue making public fools out of themselves with bills like this, or by believing a TV exec who tells you he can solve crime in 90 days. It's time to grow up, Jacktown, and take our place at the adult table.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I wouldn't believe an apology Donna if they offered it. This bill was an offense far too glaring to be ameliorated by an apology.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Well, their cowboy mayor in his Midnight RV Express yelling at drug dealers to get out of town by sundown (or move in with him to be rehabilitated) Do you know how bad of a mental image I have in my head right now? I wish I could explain it all, but it's very funny. I wish I could ROTF & LMAO, but everyone at work would be wondering what's wrong with me. Back to the regularly-scheduled topic at hand...

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

True, Geo, but it would at least show that they realize that we're not going to let them come back next year and try to pull the same crapola. Sometimes I think these people actually believe all white people (except for the occasional birth defect like me) believe like they do. They are so out of touch that they don't understand what changing demographics, and smart people who aren't leaving, are doing for this city and state. They still think they can get away with the old playbook. This is the kind of person that assumed that the JFP would have no audience or advertisers because we dare to question, er, them. They're wrong, though, and I think they're starting to see it. And they're grumpy about it, poor little thangs.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I know that you all have good intentions and work tirelessly to promote the city. However, (and I know I'll get crucified for saying this) I want people coming down here and spending money. I want lots of people living downtown and I want people eating and drinking down here. There are a lot of projects online and hopefully lots more. However, from property crimes to aggressive panhandling, the downtown area has its problems. In an effort to convince everyone from conventioneers to suburbanites that you WILL be safe downtown, I don't see why a special crime district wouldn't work. Right now it is a pipe dream to say "well why not do it everywhere?" I'd rather have crimes committed in Eastover than in Downtown. Because I'm selfish and greedy. And if criminals are more afraid to commit crimes downtown, then good.

QB

Feb 27 2008

We need Harvey Johnson to stand up not Frank Melton who is allowing all this without a single word, His ego is to big to see that they are using him to take back Jackson he really think they chose him to fight crime, please. first the civil rights museum issue and then the JRA slash JSU quick take and then the Secret police Force For the priviliged of Jackson. I think all three are connected and Frank Melton has been quiet as a mouse and thats a shame, I bet Harvey Johnson would have stood up and blasted these people behind this already. Frank Melton is the black face that allows the good ole boys to play in jackson its like he gives them street credit.

NewJackson

Feb 27 2008

However, (and I know I'll get crucified for saying this) I want people coming down here and spending money. I want lots of people living downtown and I want people eating and drinking down here. We do, too, Harry. That's good for eco-devo, and the, er, JFP Nation (snicker) is all about intelligent development. The problem, though, is that we cannot reverse mythologies with bad regulation and special "districts" that play favorites with certain parts of the city. If you want to change the faulty perception that downtown is so dangerous, then go call Ronnie Agnew, sit him down in his community room (or on the hardwood floors in Larry Whitaker's office) and explain to him why he was completely wrong and uneducated when he wrote columns that said that crime is Jackson's "No. 1 issue" and needs to be solved before downtown development can take off. This is hopelessly naive, whether he or anyone else says it. It's the development (and presence of people, and more jobs, and and) that will deter crime, and any fool who has paid attention to anything to do with urban planning knows this. We've been saying it for years. Harvey Johnson knew it. Meantime, though, a whole swath of people in Jackson who want power more than anything got their little citizen's committee together and did everything they could to tear down the efforts that were happening because they weren't at the center of it. Some of those people are on the SafeCity board now. They put all their ducks behind Frank Melton because he talked a good game, who clearly doesn't really care whether the state or county runs Jackson or not as long as he can play cowboy-savior, without regard to his abilities or motives. A Downtown Crime District is not going to change these psychological infrastructure issues. Good information will. Pressure on the media to get with the program, or hire new leaders, will. Alliances of people who care about the truth and blatant racism speaking out will. Investment in money and time will. But these silly games will not. Never have, never will. Again, Jackson has to grow up and start facing reality, both about what makes a city strong and about the motives behind the people trying to run things on our behalf. As Kaze says, there is a new generation in town (with mixed ages), and it's ready to speak up and talk back. That is where change will come from, not from more discrimination. Been there, failed at that.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Harry wrote: I'd rather have crimes committed in Eastover than in Downtown. Then be prepared Harry to have your robust downtown surrounded by an empty shell where our neighborhoods once proudly stood because such a two-tiered approach will crater property values. If you're a developer of subdivisions in Madison or Rankin county then that is the exact position you'll be able to convert into gold.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Folks, this is classic ghettoization (sp?). It's exactly what happened to a lot of the inner cities during the Civil Rights Movement (and before and after) when the powers-that-be pulled services from those communities in favor of richer, white areas (or had never provided them in the first place). It's a big part of why certain neighborhoods have so much crime today—they were screwed by discriminatory policies such as this one that handicapped them from getgo. People who lived there were redlined and couldn't become property owners. They got (get?) less garbage and police services. Their property values couldn't build as a result. That, in turn, hurt the schools. And so on, and so on. This, folks, is why "racISM" is not the same thing as "bigotry." People usually know they're bigoted; racists spend their denying it while pushing for policies that keep the non-dominant cultures less powerful than they are. The SafeCity policy was racist, whether the folks supporting it are thoughtful and educated enough to understand that or not. Anybody who would even think of supporting something like this needs a history lesson in the methods and effects of white supremacy in this country. Just become you don't want it to true doesn't mean it frickin' isn't. And it's up to people of all races, including (or especially) us palefaces, to not let this kind of sh!t ever happen again.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

The fact of the matter, Harry, is that downtown's transformation is happening, despite crime (be it high or low). Crime doesn't stop people from going to New Orleans and enjoying Mardi Gras, the NBA All-Star Game or Jazzfest, and the Big Easy has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Of course, there will be police and private security protection in downtown. If that's in place, there will be no need to create a special crime district.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

Below is a good quote challenging Safe City's role that I lifted from a poster at the Rump Nation -- Lange was still deleting comments critical of Safe City and himself last night but this one somehow survived -- but I'm not hot linking to it. The author should note that I'm giving them credit. Why is an external organization like Safe City that is not directly accountable to voters and taxpayers in any way, shape or form at the forefront of this effort? Why was the City Council unaware that Safe City was seeking to pass this legislation? Who asked Safe City to lead this effort? When did the people of Jackson ask Safe City to represent their interests directly to the Legislature? In light of the McCreery comments Donna highlighted above I think some hard questions demand to be asked -- and answered -- about the role of Safe City going forward. Letting the matter drop is not an option. I think it is also a safe conclusion that McCreery and any other privy Safe City insiders did not conceive of this legislation in a vacuum without the input of others. The public has the right to know the identity of every single person involved. McCreery's statement acknowledging that Safe City proceeded unilaterally without Council input, notice or authority is a striking admission that our leaders can not let pass unchecked. The tendered excuse that Safe City lacked the time to align our legislative delegation is ludicrous. Mr. Weill also needs to step forward and fully disclose his role in this matter. He is not a Councilperson elected at-large.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

This is a good quote by Tom Head that also survived the pogrom in the Rump Nation: Incidentally, the first tactical rule of good policy is to be accountable to your constituency. If someone has to improve Jackson by ignoring all of the legislators who actually represent Jackson, and secretly pitch a bill to a guy over in Lamar County, then that’s a pretty good sign that the proposal isn’t very good. Which was responded to by the Nation's sloganeer thusly: Tom and his friends have it set in stone that some imaginary exclusionary fix was in - the facts be damned. Now my question is, and I may have missed them, but has anyone seen any facts, anywhere, in any form or forum, that would remotely support this racist piece of trash bill?

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Yes, that's an excellent Tom quote. Nice going. And good questions. It's great to see a lot of different people jumping on this. That's the difference between today and the past. That indicates hope. "Imaginary exclusionary fix"? Right. The bill was real (er, in writing for posterity, and we have the map), it was exclusionary, and apparently it was a "fix," being that it was done in such a stealth way, which McCreery doesn't bothering denying. Them are facts, like 'em or not. If those facts weren't going to make the N-JAM Nation look so hot, perhaps they should have self-regulated their more base instincts. I haven't seen anything real to support it. It's hard to imagine what they could be, but I'm all ears.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

You know, Geo, I would yell at you about "Rump Nation" (if it means what it sounds like), but after all the dissections of women's bodies that crowd has allowed on their various blogs over the years, I think you get a hall pass.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

I looked it up first so as not to cross your line. The word has numerous meanings including inferior, unrepresentative or lacking in authority. I could use Chump Nation if you think it is a better fit.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

Donna, here's the link to the original SB 2991 as proposed. Folks might wonder why I'm linking to the older version of the bill, but it's crucial to be aware of what's in it--Fillingane chairs Judiciary A and it's a safe bet that he will try to slip this language in another bill at some point. We're going to have to watch him like a hawk. He's a clever guy--very much like having our own Rick Santorum over in Lamar County. Plus the penalty language is so gut-wrenchingly offensive that every Jacksonian really needs to know what was on the boilerplate. Re SafeCity, it's hard to know who knew what because there was apparently no effort to let the membership know what was in the bill, and clearly some SafeCity members are not happy with it. Nor should they be. Why toughen home invasion laws (as SB 2622 does) if a home invasion in a residential area of Jackson carries less prison time than a purse-snatching on Capitol Street?

Tom Head

Feb 27 2008

One last tongue-in-cheek quote gleaned from a different blog. Again I'm giving that author and blog credit for the comment and for not accepting the status quo though I'm not hot linking out of respect for all concerned. This quote nicely illuminates the contradictions between Safe City's previous rhetoric and this suddenly urgent bill: Somehow the Safe City brain trust must have concluded that everything is now fine along the I55 Frontage business district that runs north from Meadowbrook, or on the Jackson side of County Line. Wasn't too long ago that Safe City was making mucho noise about armed robberies and auto break-ins along the I55 Frontage. I guess McMillin has solved all of those problems so it was time to turn their focus onto the next high crime areas. Downtown and LeFluer's Bluff are pretty damn dangerous, or so I've been told.

GeoRoss

Feb 27 2008

I always thought the MHP and MBI had police powers anywhere in the state. Don't they? I remember them making drug arrests in the dorms at DSU or was the because colleges are state property?

BubbaT

Feb 27 2008

My guess is that since DSU is state property, they would have jurisdiction there. But I used to think the same things about MHP and MBI jurisdictions.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

Agreed, Tom, all around. And thanks for the link. I'll put them in the story itself when I get a minute.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

it seems to me that stiffer penalties for a given crime in a certain area is like stiffer penalties for a given crime based on the perpetrators motivation (ie Hate Crimes). React to me.

bill_jackson

Feb 27 2008

No thanks. Props to Kingfish, by the way, who was (I believe) the one who got the conservative blogosphere talking about SB 2991. You know, this is an issue where there's real shared concern across the ideological spectrum--nobody wants the government to have the power to take people's property away from them, and nobody wants the homes of people they care about to be given second-class protection because the laws are written to protect investments. That's presumably why the author(s) of the bill had to go all the way to Lamar County to find a sponsor. One of the coolest things to come out of this legislative session was seeing the level of bipartisan support that HB 591--Ed Blackmon's eminent domain bill--received.

Tom Head

Feb 27 2008

I don't like being taken for granted. The audacity of this group to think that they could move this through without the knowledge or consent of city officials. There are alot of hard questions that need responses. They had no "standing" to introduce this type of legislation and they actually thought they would get away with it.... plzz... Where's the Jackson legislative delegation when we need them? I met some SafeCity members at a function several months ago. What I always find interesting is that they express their concern for the "grassroots" of this city, but they make no effort whatsoever, take no initative to include the "grassroots" in their membership. Reminds me of Parents for Public Schools, forget it - that's an argument for another day.

lanier77

Feb 27 2008

Ahhhh....shades of the "Green Zone"......Baghdad on the Pearl......

ATLExile

Feb 27 2008

Someone sent me those comments today, Tom. It was great for him to get them talking about it, but all the bad information about DJP being to blame was unfortunate and cheap, to say the least. This is why reporting can take a few days. You can't just jump out there and start blaming. Hopefully, that stuff has been retracted. Reminds me of all that stuff Othor put out about Ted Duckworth reneging on low-income housing without factchecking it. And as far as I know, he's never corrected it; just got mad because people pointed out that it was irresponsible to say false things. If people want to criticize Ben Allen, Ted Duckworth or anyone else, they should find something factual to use as a basis. I've managed to find a thing or two to rag old Ben on in the past, certainly. ;-) But I am sensing "shared concern" about this thing. The amazing thing is that even if you're not really concerned about the discrimination itself, you ought to at least be upset that these people are making Mississippi look like it hasn't changed. But as I've already said, I like knowing where people like that are around us. It's good to have them out themselves so handily. "Baghdad on the Pearl" - hilarious.

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

It all comes down to "boots on the ground." Crime is not stopped -- anywhere -- by increasing penalties, creating special "districts," or riding around in big trucks. What stops crime in the short run is having the resources available to the community: police on the streets, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges to process the cases, citizens cooperating with all. We need more of all of these. What stops crime in the long run is increasing the number of people who have a stake in their community: jobs, housing, schools for their children. We need more of these too.

GenShermansGhost

Feb 27 2008

Well said, Gen. Couldn't agree more.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

So how about if the Legislature simply granted money to the Hinds County Sheriff or the Jackson Police to increase staffing (increased pay, better training, more officers/deputies), or to increase the drug court program, or created housing development incentives/grants, to increase the kind of work that Habitat does in building affordable single family dwellings, or to increase pay for teachers in Jackson and more resources for Jackson schools? Or how about just letting the City collect property tax revenue from the State?

GenShermansGhost

Feb 27 2008

Hmmm. I don't have the thread in front of me, but don't remember Kingfish saying that DJP was behind the bill; just that Fillingane didn't write it himself. Fillingane being the Starbucks franchise of right-wing legislators. That's a key difference between Fillingane and Nunnelee, I've noticed. If Nunnelee sponsors a bill, there's a 40% chance it'll be scary, but he also sponsors a lot of really good legislation on disability rights and other solid issues. Can't say the same for Fillingane, who seems to be a one-trick pony at this point. Fillingane's list of sponsored legislation would make good Halloween reading for liberal kids. "And then... He sponsored a bill to EXPAND EMINENT DOMAIN TO ELLIS AVENUE!" [blood-curdling screams]

Tom Head

Feb 27 2008

So how about if the Legislature simply granted money to the Hinds County Sheriff or the Jackson Police to increase staffing (increased pay, better training, more officers/deputies), or to increase the drug court program, or created housing development incentives/grants, to increase the kind of work that Habitat does in building affordable single family dwellings, or to increase pay for teachers in Jackson and more resources for Jackson schools? Or how about just letting the City collect property tax revenue from the State? Either one would work for me.

golden eagle

Feb 27 2008

Now, a downtown crime district -- that actually conforms to the borders of Downtown Jackson -- might be more palatable to the people here. Something like that could go a LONG way towards removing the stigma of "downtown = crime" that many people share. Frankly, the problem with this approach is that it takes on utterly fact-challenged perceptions without addressing any actual problems. (I understand that I'm quoting a devil's advocate, but it's worth speaking to.) That's PR, not good police work. Comstat, Linder-Maple and other metrics and best practices exist to actually curb crime; a sentient City Hall should be responsible for the PR. I'd rather hear about an initiative to put 100 (50? 20?) more well-paid, well-trained cops on all the streets of Jackson from the Leg than something focused exclusively on one of the least crime-challenged districts in the Capital City.

Todd Stauffer

Feb 27 2008

SB 2991 would benefit the city of Jackson. People complain that there isn't enought police officers on the streets of Jackson. This Bill would have given the State Troopers the authority to patrol the streets of Jackson. I would like to see a crackhead try to take on a state trooper. I money would be on the trooper giving the crackhead a old fashion beat down. The State Troopers enforces laws everyday. The Green Zone idea is great because this is where people come to work, visit, eat, and study. This would push the crackheads out of an area that is trying to prosper. Jackson police is the biggest joke in Mississippi.

zorro

Feb 27 2008

Oh, Melton is the greatest Mayor of Jackson!

zorro

Feb 27 2008

Zorro, we don't want state troopers patrolling (some of) the streets of Jackson. And I must say, this sentence is priceless: Jackson police is the biggest joke in Mississippi. Who let the dogs out while I was off teaching my writing class? Or maybe you're a satirist?

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Yeah, Fillingame is a piece of work. Ruff, ruff, as someone said earlier. ;-)

DonnaLadd

Feb 27 2008

Another pro-eminent domain bill--HB 911--died in committee today. Section 1(m) is the new section, and seems to specifically refer to property within a three mile radius of JSU--and would have allowed the state to take immediate possession of same.

Tom Head

Feb 27 2008