JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI'S DEADLIEST GAS STATIONS MUST HAVE 24 HR SECURITY NOW (07/06/24)

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A new Jackson ordinance will require businesses to hire security if they have at least three violent crimes in a 90-day period. On Tuesday, the Jackson City Council approved an ordinance requiring businesses associated with violent crimes to hire security during hours of operation. The measure was approved after about 20 minutes of heated discussion, and after several council members and City Attorney Drew Martin raised concerns about whether the ordinance could be enforced. “I’ve advised the council on a couple of occasions now that while I think this is a well-intentioned ordinance, I do not believe that it is enforceable,” Martin said. “I don’t believe that the law would allow the city to require the businesses to hire personnel and also think the definition of a business associated with violence during hours of operation is going to be too ambiguous.” Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes disagreed, saying the council needed to send a message that the city is against crime. “If the legal department thinks they can’t defend that, then I understand that, but we’ll get somebody who can,” he said. “Don’t tell these citizens you’ve got to keep dying in this city, and ain’t nobody going to do nothing.” The measure was approved on a 5-1-1 vote, with Stokes and Councilmembers Ashby Foote, Angelique Lee, Aaron Banks, and Vernon Hartley voting in favor. Councilman Brian Grizzell voted against the ordinance, and Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay abstained. The vote came after the council amended the one-page ordinance to provide more specifics on what businesses would be impacted. Rather than businesses “associated with violence,” the council changed the ordinance to say any business that has had at least three violent crimes in 90 days. Banks initially recommended five crimes during that timeframe, but Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said that might be too many. “What I’m saying is five crimes within 90 days, that’s a lot. It’s a lot,” he said. “I’m saying three crimes, two to three crimes within 90 days [are] too many. Linsday suggested putting the item back in the Public Safety Committee, “because we do not have time to sit here and dissect this line by line today.” Banks said the item was held over from a previous meeting and there had already been a request for the City Attorney’s Office to bring forward any suggestions. “It’s rolled over to the time of the adoption, so, I’m trying to help get it to a place where it’s healthy enough to be passed [and] to have a good legal grounding,” he said. “I don’t want council members to feel like if something goes up for introduction... and I know you’re busy, I’m not trying to slight [you]... I’m just trying to get it to a place...” Martin said he’d be happy to sit down with Stokes to discuss the ordinance further, saying the first time he saw it was the first time it was on the agenda two weeks ago. “We’ve been doing that with Councilwoman Lee. We’ve done it with Councilman Hartley,” he said. “I think there’s a way to address the issue he’s trying to address and do it in a legal way that we can defend, and have confidence that our police can enforce it,” he said. Stokes also rejected holding off on the vote, saying putting it back into committee would be akin to killing it. “If legal wanted to do something with this ordinance to help stop these killings, they would have had a companion ordinance, which they do not have. That ain’t nothing but fluff that you tell the new and green people,” he said. “We can vote, Mr. President, I’m ready. If it dies, it dies. But we’ll keep fighting.” The ordinance will go into effect in 30 days, pending an appeal to the Hinds County Circuit Court.