Additional law enforcement officers, district attorneys, public defenders and judges will be hired in coming months to work in Hinds County as an effort to help reduce crime in Jackson.
About $3.5 million is in place for additional judges and public defenders and another $3 million for additional Capitol Police officers. There are also some funds for equipment and cameras.
Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph will appoint three judges, who will work to clear the large criminal case backlog in Hinds County. In 2020, Randolph appointed temporary special judges to assist the Hinds Circuit Court in handling the backlog of cases that resulted from delays caused by COVID-19.
The judicial appointments will be made after the new fiscal year starts on July 1.
The Mississippi Capitol Police Department expects to hire 37 new police officers, which will bring its total number of officers to 150. The Capitol Police Department has jurisdiction over the Capitol Complex Improvement District, which includes the Capitol, the Fairgrounds, state agency buildings, downtown Jackson, Jackson State University, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and residential neighborhoods that are close to downtown.
Between four and six temporary district attorneys and an unknown number of public defenders are expected to be hired.
Virgi Lindsay, who represents Ward 7 and serves as city council president, said she is grateful to the state’s leadership and the Legislature for the assistance. “We appreciate every effort to help us stem crime,” she said.
Ashby Foote, who represents Ward 1on the Jackson City Council, said the additional judges, district attorneys and public defenders will be helpful in moving criminal cases through the judicial system.
“The assistance is greatly appreciated,” he said. “Speeding up the judicial system is something that needs to be done. COVID-19 slowed down the right to a speedy trial in a serious way.”
Foote hopes Jackson Police Department officers will not be hired for the Capitol Police Department officer openings. In early May, Foote said JPD is budgeted for 356 officers, but has just 258. JPD has 132 civilian employees, 67 fewer than the 199 support positions budgeted, he said.
