On the heels of a summer murder wave at Jackson gas stations, the capital city’s police department is starting a new initiative in hopes of curbing crime at the pump.
Seven total people were shot at two Jackson gas stations – the Texaco on Medgar Evers Boulevard and the Shell on McDowell Road – in two days during late July, with three of the victims dying. The surge of violence prompted some local leaders to call for government action.
“Any other city in this state and country, where you have a nuisance, would be in court filing paperwork to shut these kinds of places down,” Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes said. “When people suffer harm or injury it’s got to be considered a nuisance. How many people have to die here before they realize it’s harmful?”
In response to the violence and public outcry, Jackson Chief of Police Joseph Wade released a statement Tuesday detailing a new initiative dubbed “Operation Gas Up and Guns Down” to suppress violence at neighborhood gas stations and convenience stores.
The initiative will include an emphasis on loitering, panhandling, trespassing, gang activity, and drug activity. Officers will be charged with collecting intelligence information, including documentation of individuals who are taking part in suspicious activity in and around gas stations. In the statement, JPD officials explained that officers will be challenged to leave their squad cars and sign in on sheets posted inside the gas stations to document their visits.
“We’ve identified at least four stores in each of our four precincts that have a propensity for violence, gun violence particularly,” reads a portion of the statement. “Some of the precincts have more stores, but we have identified at least four that we will focus on. We want our citizens to visit gas stations and convenience stores, but we want it to be an inconvenience for the criminal element.”
