(Verbatim statement)-Calling for an increased focus on crime-fighting from the office of the Governor, Haley Barbour announced that he will use the authority given to the Governor to “direct the Attorney General to aid in the prosecution of cases by appointing assistant Attorneys General as special prosecutors.” At a press conference at the State Capitol building today, Barbour stated, “State law gives the Governor the authority to direct the Attorney General to aid in the prosecution of cases by appointing assistant Attorneys General as special prosecutors. As Governor, I will exercise that authority in order to make sure criminals in Hinds County get tried swiftly and punished appropriately.”
MORE …
“In addition to the appointment of special prosecutors, I will have the Department of Public Safety allocate sufficient investigators to help prepare these cases to be tried successfully,” Barbour said. Section 7-1-5 of the Mississippi Code that defines the powers and duties of the Governor including that, “He may require the Attorney General to aid any District Attorney in the discharge of his duties.” Section 7-5-53 of the Mississippi Code states that the Attorney General, when required by the Governor, can “assist the District Attorney there in the discharge of his duties.”
“These additional prosecutors are not a substitute for local prosecutors,” Barbour said. “They are meant to complement the efforts of a District Attorney when the situation is at a breaking point-and the situation in Jackson has reached that point.”
“We are seeing a breakdown in the system reflected in the failure to prosecute in Jackson,” Barbour stated. “A criminal will not go to jail, will not be taken off the streets, and will not be prevented from committing another crime if they are not prosecuted. As Governor, I will not tolerate that.”
Jackson was recently ranked in the top 10 most dangerous cities in America, according to the Morgan Quitno Awards. It was reported on September 18, 2003 in the Clarion-Ledger that more than 50 suspects have been released since June because of incomplete paperwork or affidavits.
“There is a drug epidemic in Mississippi and it is driving a crime wave,” Barbour said. “Jackson is not the only place being hurt by this crime wave. Rural areas have seen an explosion of crystal meth and crack cocaine, and all of the other crime that goes with it. Jefferson Davis County, a rural county in South Mississippi, has a higher murder rate than New Orleans or Washington, D.C., and it is because of drug crime.”
“The front line of criminal justice is local law enforcement,” Barbour stated. “We must focus our attention and efforts to better assist local law enforcement. I will not ask deputy sheriff’s and highway patrolmen to risk their lives arresting criminals in the middle of the night only to have those criminals set free because of a failure to prosecute them.”
Barbour has been endorsed by the Mississippi Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Mississippi Police Benevolent Association.
Barbour announced a comprehensive, detailed plan on how as Governor, he will work with local law enforcement to create safer communities in Mississippi. The proposal can be viewed in detail at http://www.haleysplan.com Key points of this plan include: cracking down on drugs and drug crime; supporting local law enforcement; reforming our corrections system to ensure there is space for criminals to serve their time; and utilizing faith-based programs to deter repeat offenses.
The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
