Adding to her troubles, two television stations last week reported that Anderson had been replaced by Cmdr. Lee Vance as the city’s new police chief. Vance, on Monday, though, denied the report and said, as far as he knew, she was still in charge.
Concerning the rumor, Melton said he was embarassed Friday that the information wasn’t verified and anytime he makes a change of that caliber he will personally let the media know.
Anderson couldn’t be reached to comment on that report, but in a recent interview with The Northside Sun, the embattled chief focused on the department’s efforts to reduce crime and improve morale.
She said crime rates have gone down throughout the city, despite the department being short 70 to 100 officers. It has implemented new strategies to fight crime, including mapping out high-crime areas and moving officers from specialized units to tackle criminal activity.
“We look at the hours of the day when crime happens and we deploy officers to the areas where they can be strategically spread out. We’re using our reserve police officers to help with the shortage,” she said. “Overall, it’s been pretty effective. The department has been able to maintain a five percent reduction across the city.”
Despite the decrease, Anderson and the mayor have been criticized for other departmental issues.
Recently, the Jackson Police Officers Association aired out their grievances at a special Jackson City Council meeting.
AMONG THEIR CONCERNS, Det. Juan Cloy, the association’s president, said the department has become a laughing stock throughout the state, mainly because of the mayor’s unnecessary involvement in its affairs.
Vice president Det. David Domino told the council that officers lacked the needed training and equipment to get the job done.
He said those issues, paired with the recent unwarranted promotions of Melton’s bodyguards, Michael Recio and Marcus Wright, have been detrimental to officer morale.
The heavily controversial mayor recently promoted Recio to a deputy chief position, and Wright to sergeant, passing over more qualified officers. The City Council has yet to approve raises for the men.
Despite those concerns, authorities say crime is trending downward and officer morale is going up on the Northside, in part, to new leadership. About a month ago, department veteran Cmdr. Ron Sampson was appointed to lead Precinct Four.
Sampson has made it clear to residents and media agencies that he doesn’t have time to deal with administrative appointments.
At the most recent Community Oriented Policing and Government meeting, he addressed those issues before residents could ask about them. “I tell people that’s not my problem,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference about what’s going on in the administration.”
And like the rest of the department, Precinct Four is also feeling the officer shortage crunch.
It is short 25 officers. The new commander doesn’t dwell on that, either. “It doesn’t matter how many people we have, we’re still expected to get the job done,” he said.
Sampson said his focus is to improve officer morale, maintain officer safety and decrease crime. The precinct has implemented a new strategy using “directive patrols” to target specific areas. Sampson wouldn’t go into detail about which areas were currently being targeted, but discussed one recent success.
A special detail was placed on patrol near a North Jackson hotel that had experienced a rash of robberies, he said. With the increased police presence, crime has decreased.
Once crime drops in one area, officers change their focus to a different troubled area. He said the strategy is paying off in other parts of the Northside as well. That’s good news to residents, who have seen crime jump 26 percent in past months.
Assistant Police Chief Preston Carter said property crime there, like car theft and auto burglary, has dropped 15 percent in recent weeks. Other crimes, like house burglary, have remained steady, he said.
WHILE DEALING with crime, Jackson officials are working to increase officer morale. Sampson said he has encouraged his officers following the promotions. “I talk to them and tell them to keep their heads up,” he said. “We have nothing to do with what appointments that are made.
“Honestly, you could take everyone who’s appointed, including myself, and ask 100 people what they would think. Fifty would support you and 50 wouldn’t,” he said. “We have to stay focused.”
Sampson also rides with officers to make sure they recognize that they have his full support. He and Ward One Councilman Jeff Weill are organizing an officer of the month program. Weill is meeting with local business owners to obtain donations to get the program going.
On the administrative level authorities are also working to improve officer morale. Anderson, for her part, has also overseen the creation of a pay raise plan to recruit and retain new police officers.
Anderson said self-motivation must come from within, but understands the importance of a well-paid force. Officers, she said, now start out at about $23,500 a year. After five years with the department, officers usually make $33,000.
Before budget talks began last year, Anderson and a committee of low- and high-ranking officers created a pay increase plan that included options, like a nominal restaurant and hotel tax increase, to raise the additional money needed.
The plan, though, she said, was never brought to fruition.
She said the council, as well as leaders within the administration, glossed over the proposal and simply forgot about it when budget work started. “I decided to present the proposal early, in 2006, so I would have something on the table in 2007 when budget talks began,” she said. “In the package, we included a crime plan with a strategy on how to implement it. They put it to the wayside.”
She said morale issues could’ve been dealt with had the council further examined the plan.
WARD SEVEN Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon didn’t recall the plan being brought up during the budget hearings. But raising the pay for officers would’ve presented a challenge for the city. “If you approve a raise for the police department, you also have to approve one for the fire department, which also falls under public safety.”
That would’ve been a tall order this year, based on the city’s current financial situation.
But following the recent presentation by the police officers’ union, council members said they are going to reconsider the department’s raise proposal and will work closer with police administration to make budget amendments where needed.
In a show of support to the officers who feel slighted by Melton, Barrett-Simon said the council has also exercised its power of the purse.
She said the council has denied the mayor’s request to increase pay for his most recent appointments. The council, though, doesn’t have the authority to remove them.
“The problem was created by promoting people who were not qualified for the position,” Barrett-Simon said. “There’s a strong feeling among officers that people were passed over, especially those who were better trained.”
Anderson wouldn’t comment on the mayor’s recent promotions.
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