(The Center Square) – Reduction in crime for Mississippi’s capital city has beenin operation since the middle of January, Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday.
Operation United brings together local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with the goal of getting violent criminals and drug traffickers off the streets of Jackson.
Reeves cited a viral video from a car’s dashcam of a gunman spraying bullets indiscriminately from a submachine gun from the sunroof of a speeding car that was near the QuikTrip gas station along Interstate 55.
“The reckless actions of those criminals had a total disregard of the safety of their fellow Jacksonians and they didn’t care who they hurt and they didn’t care who they killed,” Reeves said during a news conference. “What was shown in that video was completely unacceptable and must be stopped. Jacksonians deserve to live in peace and they should not have to fear for their safety while running errands or commuting to work.”
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said the shooter in the viral video was arrested by the state Capitol Police and the investigation is ongoing. He also said Operation United was a “critical response” to the rise of violent crime in Jackson.
Among the agencies participating in Operation United include the Mississippi Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Narcotics, Capitol Police and Office of Homeland Security, along with the state Department of Corrections.
Also participating are the Jackson Police Department, the Hinds County district attorney and Hinds County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is a shining example of operational unity,” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said. “We are focused on our common means and objectives than any differences we may have.”
The federal agencies in the operation include the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Reeves said the operation wasn’t merely a surge of law enforcement assets into the capitol city, but the state had spent $95 million on water, sewer and other improvements due to the Capitol Improvement District.
“Together with our local and federal partners, we will put a stop to it. As one unified front that is committed to stopping violent crime, this operation will help us to do exactly that,” Reeves said. “I’d like to thank our law enforcement partners for helping us tackle the crime plaguing this fantastic city.”
