JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Ward 3 Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes hosted a crime summit at Cornerstone Baptist Church on Wednesday, June 1.
At the crime summit, a grieving mother shared the story of losing her son. She believes he might not have fallen victim to gang violence if he had a father figure in his life.
“The mother is blamed for everything that a child does. If a child doesn’t have a strong male in his life, he’s going to be taken up by the street,” said the mother.
Several people at the summit agreed that more men in Jackson need to lead young men in the right direction, including Jackson Police Chief James Davis. Another issue that Chief Davis discussed was a possible gun ban in the capital city.
“Those kids were comfortable on the fairgrounds, that’s where they buy guns. If you’ve got a crime problem in your capital city and the number one issue is guns, that’s an easy fix,” said Chief Davis.
Mental health was another major issue that community members and officials believe is driving crime statewide, especially in Jackson.
“We’re dealing with a mental health crisis. A lot of this crime can be attributed to mental health, and we are putting together a plan to deal with mental health,” said Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Keith Davis.
City, county and state leaders agreed that partnerships are needed to get crime under control in Jackson.
“The State of Mississippi is committed by the governor’s orders that we’re going to partner with anyone that wants to partner with us to reduce crime in the City of Jackson. And we’re going to put whatever assets we can toward that effort,” said Deputy Commissioner Davis.
Mississippi State Representatives Bo Brown and Debra Gibbs also attended the summit. Both said the Hinds County Delegation has been fighting for funding for Jackson for years and will continue to fight in the next legislative session.
“There is a process in order to get funding for our city and for our county, and if we get on one accord and decide what those priorities are, then we can be successful,” said Rep. Gibbs.
Councilman Stokes said there will be an item on the agenda for the next city council meeting asking the state for more help with combating crime.
The Jackson Police Department will also begin hosting conflict resolution training and active shooter awareness training classes within the coming weeks.