Jackson Violent Crime Down 10.1 Percent

Can anyone offer an explanation for this dramatic turnaround? Obviously, the slight increase in property crimes is disappointing, but the sharp reduction in violent crime--especially murder--should make us all rejoice.

There is no question that Frank Melton was an unmitigated disaster for law enforcement in Jackson. JPD was in turmoil throughout his tenure, and he disbanded programs that were proven effective, such as ComStat. We also know that Johnson has a convincing track record on fighting crime, which fell steadily during his earlier administrations.

All of that said, can anyone explain why we're seeing such a dramatic turnaround?

Brian, murders had dropped in Jackson for years, and then spiked with Melton as mayor, and now are dropping off again.

There seems to have been high stress in certain segments of Jackson during his tenure; as you know, he had a way of being quite divisive on the "streets" and pitting people against each other. I believe that had an effect on both violent crime and the murder rate.

Also, as we have long pointed out, the whole political shtick about the Johnson administration doctoring stats didn't even work on the surface when it came to murders.

The proof is in the numbers, as they say.

Jackson is becoming a different place fast. And you wouldn't believe how many people (and media) the failed Melton administration shut up or helped change their run. They were so pathetically wrong that it's not even funny, as we worked so hard to tell everyone all the way through. And everyone knows it now. It's great to watch now, even as it was tragic to have to have four years of Melton to get here.

Now, we still have a serious problem on our hands, and another one we predicted: the DA's office.

It's also funny (and annoying) to watch the Ledger now try to scramble to catch up, crowing all over the city's progress, even as it did everything it could all these years to talk the city down, and not report what people needed to know (because, you know, people didn't want to hear it). The paper's credibility is in the toilet, and they seem to be trying to get some sort of support back by now getting all giddy over the progress they tried to help hold back.

Remember Agnew et al's crowing over crime being the No. 1 issue -- how the redevelopment of Jackson couldn't happen until all the crime was fixed?

They have egg dripping from behind their ears at this point. They have been so, so bad for this city. Now, it seems, people just don't pay them any mind anymore -- except all the racists that are giving their Web site page views because the Ledger can't figure out how to moderate its comments in a civil way.

One of their perspective editors even admitted that at a forum Wednesday, but didn't exactly say he was going to stomp back to Congress Street and change the way they do comments. They probably don't even have the power to change it -- it's a missive from Virginia: get all the page views you can, by any means necessary. Meantime, their ugly forums and comments are the *only* thing I ever hear people say about the Ledger any more. That's not something to be known for.

Ain't it something how the Ledge is quick to put up the latest crime story in Jackson, but when it comes to reporting stats of crime dropping, they're nowhere to be found. Why don't they just move their operations to the suburbs if they hate Jackson that much?

Based on the comments on the CL's web site, most of their readers do not live in the city. They championed Melton for "getting tough on crime" even though crime rates soared during his administration. Many of them are unapologetic racists who just wanted someone to show the "thugs" in Jackson who is boss, namely white suburbanites. They are completely immune to facts, which are that crime fell for many years before Melton took office, rose dramatically while he was in office, and is falling again now that he has left office. The CL gets the readers it deserves.