U.S. Marshals Service discuss crime issues with Jackson leaders

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Crime may not be a new topic of discussion for the city of Jackson, but the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service Ronald Davis believes he can help.

“We both have clear mandates of how to support state and local partners. But I do want to hear from you. How do you think we can help,” Davis said.

Those on the judicial side believe mentorship programs need more attention.

“The Youth Court is different from most of the judiciary and that we have great leverage to create programs, to develop mentorship programs. But the issue that we run into from the youth courts perspective is that once those children are returned to the community, there is no sustainability of what those programming linkings can be,” Hinds County Youth Court Judge Carlyn Hicks said.

The second area of concern is the backlog of cases hitting the Hinds County District Attorney’s office.

“We’re not able to move the case fast enough. I’m not getting the body cam footage from the US Marshals, I’m not getting that turned over turns fast enough for anything that’s used the time. So if I have a wish list in this program with the existing people on the ground, it would be a larger collaboration with the prosecuting authorities,” District Attorney Jody Owns said.

But, according to community activists, the one thing Jacksonians do not want is for over-policing.

“Capitol Police is a prime example of that, of how someone from, you know, outside of our community has decided what our community needs, and how our community needs to be policed and have created a police force now, that takes resources away from our local system,” Rukia Lumumba said.

Director Davis says that isn’t the plan.

“We won’t be patrolling the neighborhoods. And I think our role is to continue to learn from a community to stay very focused in strategic homes, focusing on those small groups of people with exactly a lot of violence and to bring them to justice and that we assist in a process beyond the handcuffing,” he said.

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