JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – According to one local councilman, it’s time for the community to step in to help save children’s lives in the fight against violent crime.
Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes said the village aspect of raising a child has disappeared. He added that parents of incarcerated children shouldn’t be embarrassed about their situations. Instead, he said parents should share their concerns at community meetings, making others aware of real life consequences.
Concerned community members believe the current youth crime crisis is not a policing issue, but a lack of resources and positive direction from adults.
“They got to move away from this so-called embarrassment. I’m embarrassed because my child is in prison. I’m embarrassed because my child has been killed. We got to save all the young people’s lives. That’s why we asked them for a united front,” said Stokes.
“It doesn’t matter how many police they get. We’re still going to have this problem. Even if the police sit at every home, they can’t go in until there’s a problem,” said one Jackson neighbor.
Stokes is inviting all concerned neighbors to a crime-fighting summit at Cornerstone Baptist Church on Wednesday, June 1 at 6:00 p.m.