Jackson Free Press

Jackson's new police chief said the city is facing big bills this year thanks to overtime and unpaid debt—and is bringing back the Crime Prevention Unit that the mayor disbanded in order to help meet some of the city's policing challenges.

The new chief acknowledged at a Monday council budget meeting that the department had accrued more than $180,000 in unpaid bills prior to his arrival last November. One bill entails $86,500 the city owes ModSpace for rental housing for Precinct 2. "We're doing a review to determine the amount of unpaid bills. The current budget may not be able to absorb these expenses," McMillin told the council.

Dwight Pugh, fiscal officer for the Jackson Police Department, said JPD was writing a proposal for payment to ModSpace.

"We're hoping they will accept our proposal to pay that off," Pugh said. "With the $46,500 that's left in the budget right now we can make payments of $5,750 per month for the next eight months and when the new budget rolls over we could make payments of $36,500, which should roll into the next budget next year."

McMillin also informed the council that he is rolling back a decision made by micro-managing Mayor Frank Melton this year. McMillin said he was re-instating the city's defunct Crime Prevention Unit, so he could move more sworn officers back onto the street.

"One of the things I saw during my review of the department was the need to get more sworn officers on the street, and that's eight that we could put back into service," McMillin told members of the Jackson City Council Budget Committee.

Melton dissolved the civilian-staffed unit in 2005, and transferred some of their duties to police officers, claiming the cuts would save the city $275,000 in salaries. The eight fired employees learned of their downsizing just four days before the unit died. Melton said the city would find new jobs for the eight employees, though only Robert West—who supported Melton during his election—got placed in a new city position.

The unit instructed neighborhood associations and private individuals on community-oriented policing tactics. The eight specialists, all formerly certified by the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners—the only certification of its kind in the state—often served as liaisons between neighborhoods and local precincts.

Their job description also included representing the department at community meetings and touring homes and businesses to instruct owners and occupants on securing the building. The unit also hosted educational programs in local schools, such as Drug Awareness, Personal Safety, Stranger Danger and Law Enforcement Day, and members worked in tandem with weekly crime statistic reports to show communities the crime patterns emerging in the vicinity. In addition to firing the unit, Melton canceled the publication of the weekly crime statistics. McMillin said he is reviving the statistics this year.

McMillin told the council he was seeking out the departed employees to refill their old positions, though former Crime Preventions Unit employee Sharon Sims said she had found work within the office of fledgling Hinds County Supervisor Robert Graham and would not likely be coming back.

"Truth is, I don't know if any of my old co-workers would care to come back anymore,' Sims told the JFP. "I can't speak for all of them, but I think most of us felt betrayed."

Graham told the JFP he wasn't letting go of Sims in any case: "You can't have her. She's too valuable to my office. Sorry."

Councilman Marshand Crisler praised McMillin's decision to reinstate the unit. Melton had disbanded the unit without notifying the council. A majority of the council—including Crisler—had openly opposed the move.

In addition to that announcement, McMillin repeated to the council that the police department had already spent more than half of its overtime budget within three months.

"The first thing that jumped out at me when I came on was overtime. The overtime budget was exceeded by about 27.5 percent. That was about $570,000, without including December, with 21 days left of overtime to be posted that month,' McMillin said.

McMillin has since ended overtime in the department, warning that if there was any overtime still being paid it was against his orders and that he would "deal with that." McMillin told the council he was looking at the possibility of moving police officers from low crime precincts to high crime precincts to cover schedule holes. He also said he was investigating the possibility of expanding police officers to 12-hour shifts, an unpopular plan, according to some officers.

"The officers I've spoken to all have a negative reaction to the 12-hour shift,' said Juan Cloy, president of the Jackson Police Officers Association. "Why are the police officers always the ones who have to give? It's been like that since I started the force in 1995, and it's sad that patrolmen and police are always the one's giving."

Cloy said he was personally backing the council's consideration this week for a possible police pay raise, funded through a hotel and restaurant tax. If the council and the state legislature approve the idea, the possible pay raise and tax could appear as a referendum item during the November election this year.

Previous Comments

ID

98218

Comment

So, this morning, Adam glared at me as soon as I stumbled into the office. It seems that in the Best of Jackson madness Friday, I failed to read and post the above breaking story about McMillin's plans for reviving the Crime Prevention Unit and dealing with JPD's massive budgtary shortfalls. His look said: "Don't you know why we're here?" Mea culpa.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-01-28T11:41:07-06:00

ID

98219

Comment

Looks like Donna's on Adam's "mess list". LOL I'm glad they're bringing back the unit and the stats. The citizens need to be empowered.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-01-28T12:03:52-06:00

ID

98220

Comment

Hey, he just got an office with a door that closes (in our fabulous office expansion; we doubled our space! We were growing too fast for our current space). So, I THINK he will forgive me. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-01-28T12:40:41-06:00

ID

98221

Comment

This is GREAT news! I was really concerned with Melton's cancellation of that program. Glad to hear McMillan is bringing it back. Hope it's a harbinger of good things to come...l

Author

Izzy

Date

2008-01-28T19:25:16-06:00

ID

98222

Comment

Good move on Mac's part. It's good to have someone in charge that actually knows what he or she is doing and hopefully not be a puppet and rubber-stamper for Frank Melton.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-01-28T21:58:08-06:00

ID

98223

Comment

Ladd, This novice investigative reporter needs your help. McMillan was asked at a Leadership Jackson Alumni lunch last week about the fact that the JPD reported no drug arrests, for using or selling, the first two years of the current administration. McMillan said that arrests were being made; however, they were reported through a joint city/county drug interdiction task force, so they never hit the jpd books. Please give me an idea of where I can go to confirm this?

Author

FrankMickens

Date

2008-01-29T13:29:04-06:00

ID

98224

Comment

The sheriff has said that to me recently, as has a former DEA official. If true, that doesn't speak well for the Melton administration, of course, being that they didn't bother to file numbers (or, probably, to help much with the arrests). I don't know where you can confirm the actual numbers, though. This is a perfect storm for the government being secretive or manipulating numbers.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-01-29T13:39:46-06:00

ID

98225

Comment

Thank God for that. I'm completely sick of hearing gunshots every night; maybe this will help. I hope it will!

Author

Katharine

Date

2008-01-30T08:34:16-06:00

ID

98226

Comment

"McMillan said that arrests were being made; however, they were reported through a joint city/county drug interdiction task force, so they never hit the jpd books. Please give me an idea of where I can go to confirm this?" I would probably start with an open records request with the City of Jackson. The Circuit Clerk would let you know if they have that info available. These crimes do (should) get reported to the FBI annually. Not sure who the reporting agency would be - the county or the city.

Author

Krystal

Date

2008-01-30T16:51:23-06:00

ID

98227

Comment

This story could be summed up in just a very few words: melton screwed up everything that former mayor Harvey Johnson put in place. The road map for the JPD had been laid out throught the Maple-Lynde Study. At least McMillin had the good sense to bring back something that was working. I never give up the opportunity to remind this community that melton destroyed all that was good. He and a few others continue to stew in a cess pool.

Author

justjess

Date

2008-02-04T10:44:23-06:00