Statement from Mayor Lumumba on Recent Homicides as the City Heads Into Labor Day Weekend
(Jackson, MS) – Friday, Mayor Lumumba issued a video statement today on Jackson’s recent spike in homicides as the city heads into Labor Day Weekend. The text of the Mayor’s video statement is below.
“I would like to begin by extending our heartfelt prayers to each and every one who has lost someone or who has been harmed in anyway as a result of violence in our city. These have been challenging times for our city and for the world, unlike any we have faced before.
The recent spike in violence, where friends and family are turning anger into violence and harming each other, when even a six-year-old child is a shooting victim, are signs that our community is in crisis. Additionally, the impact of the coronavirus – on jobs and mental health has heightened the problem.
Our highest priority is the safety of our residents.
Law enforcement is an important part of the picture and we are extremely grateful for their efforts and their sacrifice, but they are a part of the picture. With so much of the violence happening between people who know each other well, we know that in these cases, police can only make arrests after the harm is done.
We are called to do more.
That is why we are working throughout the Administration to strengthen crime prevention as well as services for those in crisis. Our goal is to work with everyone in our community – faith leaders, business leaders, those who work with people in conflict, and our youth, everyone – because it will take all of us to turn this around.
Our thanks to everyone working to make our city safer in the midst of these challenges. Let us look out for one another and have a safe and peaceful Labor Day Weekend.”
Residents are reminded to please seek support in times of stress and conflict. The Hinds County Mobile Crisis Response Team is available 24/7 at 601-955-6381. Other resources are available on the City of Jackson website at https://www.jacksonms.gov/mental-health-resources/
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