JACKSON, MISS– The controversial battle over Jackson Police presence on the outer premises of the Mississippi State Fair is going to court.
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith says that Jackson Police Department wants the state fair to pay $325,000 for police officers to provide services for traffic control and out premises security.
“The state fair does not have statutory authority to pay the city for the officers,” says Hyde-Smith, “it’s against the law.”
Hyde-Smith says the city has provided that service for over 50 years, and until now it hasn’t been a problem. While Jackson police are not the only ones who work the state fair, not having them for patrolling the surrounding area could allow issues to arise, especially in the traffic and parking.
“I want to assure everyone that there will be a strong law enforcement presence at the state fair,” says Hyde-Smith, stating that the state fire marshals office, capitol police, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department and other state agencies will be present inside the gates of the fair.
Hyde-Smith says those patrolmen are often contracted out by the state fair, and are compensated. These contracts are not through the departments themselves. When the state fair commission offered the same thing for Jackson police, Hyde-Smith says they refused.
The state fair commission is now seeking help from the court to have the city officers work as they’ve always done. An injunction on the matter could have officers working until the courts reach a decision on how traffic and security at the state fair will be handled in future years. The court hearing is Tuesday. The grand opening for the fair is Wednesday.
Here’s what Cindy Hyde-Smith had to say about the battle for more officers:
