Jackson Police Battling Burglaries

File Photo

by Ward Schaefer
March 18, 2010

Jackson police reported 226 crimes last week, up from 177 the previous week, according to crime statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning. Officers reported 190 property crimes, up from 144 the previous week, and 36 violent crimes, a slight increase from the 33 reported the week before. Auto burglary increases occurred in Precincts 2, 3 and 4 while house burglaries rose in Precincts 1, 3 and 4.

Precinct 2, which covers the western and central sections of the city, reported 25 auto burglaries last week, up from 9 the week before. Ten of those auto burglaries occurred on the morning of March 8, in two apartment complexes on West Highland Drive and Robinson Road, precinct Commander Jeremiah Jones said.

For the year to date, Jackson has seen only a 0.3 percent increase in total crimes over 2009, with a 22.8 percent rise in violent crime offset by a 2.7 percent decrease in property crime.

South Jackson's Precinct 1 reported no change in violent crimes and a slight increase in property crimes. Commander Donald Gater said that his officers made seven arrests yesterday for house burglary, which has been the precinct's most vexing category for over a year. Officers found an 8-year-old boy during one house burglary in progress, Gater said. Commander Wendell Watts, of the department's roving Precinct 5, said that his officers had caught the same boy recently for truancy.

"He looks like he's fixing to upgrade himself to a criminal element," Watts said of the 8-year-old.

JPD has contacted the city's Department of Human and Cultural Services about the boy.

Precinct 2, which covers the western and central sections of the city, reported 25 auto burglaries last week, up from 9 the week before. Ten of those auto burglaries occurred on the morning of March 8, in two apartment complexes on West Highland Drive and Robinson Road, precinct Commander Jeremiah Jones said.

Northwest Jackson's Precinct 3 reported increases in auto burglaries, house burglaries and auto thefts.

Commander Ron Sampson told command staff that some of the auto thefts in his precinct are coming from reports of broken-down cars that are towed away on an umarked, white flatbed truck.

Commander Ken Goodrum said that Northeast Jackson's Precinct 4 saw a spike in business burglaries, from 2 to 8. Four business burglaries took place within an hour of each other in the Fondren business district on the morning of March 11. Officers have developed a possible suspect in the burglaries, but Goodrum would not release any additional information yet.

Precinct 4 officers also arrested a suspect last night for a burglary in progress at the Pizza Shack on North State Street. Goodrum told command staff that he is dedicating five extra beat officers to burglary suppression in the Fondren area this week. Assistant Chief Lee Vance encouraged Goodrum to make sure his officers are visible.

"They can ride with their lights on," Vance said. "Let the folks up there see them."

See the COMSTAT report for this week.

COMMENTS

Page 1 of 1 pages

100 recent comments »