The much-maligned murder numbers in Mississippi’s capital city declined for the third consecutive calendar year in 2024. But Jackson’s top cop Joseph Wade is still imploring leaders and citizens to double down on investing in public safety.
The Jackson Police Department reported 104 homicides last year, along with seven slayings separately investigated by Capitol Police for a total of 111. That’s a 5.93% decrease compared to 2023 when 118 were murdered in Jackson. The drop follows a 14.5% dip from 2022 to 2023, while murders fell 13.75% from 2021 to 2022.
2021’s total of 160 remains the highest morbid watermark in the city’s history.
Wade attributes the progress to an increased investment in public safety by city leaders, a commitment that has compounded since he was named police chief in August of 2023.
“We’ve got to educate, and we’ve got to invest in our youth,” Wade said on Mary Wieden & You, noting that a large portion of the homicides are connected to juveniles and young adults. “Invest in your police department because that’s an investment in the community. That’s an investment in public safety for all your citizens.”
The city of Jackson has heeded Wade’s call with funding approved for new resources like 15 new vehicles, an improved fleet of cameras and license plate readers, pay raises for an expanded force, and the revitalization of the department’s intelligence unit. Wade says every budget request he made was approved by the city council in 2024.
An 81% clearance rate – a number that measures the percentage of homicides that result in arrest and conviction – also remains a source of encouragement for JPD as one of the top marks in the U.S. for municipal police departments.
The dropping sum of slayings follows a national trend, with the FBI reporting a 12% decrease in homicides from 2022 to 2023 and about a 16% dip nationwide in 2024.
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But while the numbers are headed in the right direction, Wade highlighted the importance of continued commitment to burgeoning youth programs that address root causes of crime and prevent violence before it happens. It’s a matter of culture, he believes. And a wholesale change in how Jackson’s citizens deal with interpersonal conflict is the biggest part of a solution.
“When you shoot and kill somebody, that is final,” Wade said, adding that more than 60% of the city’s murders were between those with personal relationships with each other. “There’s no way you can say, ‘I’m sorry’ or take it back and cry in the courtroom. That doesn’t work. You have taken this person’s life and they’re gone forever.”
While the continued decrease is cause for optimism, Jackson still leads the U.S. in murder rate per capita among major cities at 77.24 killings per 100,000 residents. That’s a title the city has held since 2021.
| Ranking | City | Number of homicides | Homicide rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson, MS | 111 | 77.24 |
| 2 | Birmingham, AL | 151 | 76.79 |
| 3 | Louisville, KY | 145 | 58.9 |
| 4 | St. Louis, MO | 148 | 52.53 |
| 5 | Memphis, TN | 299 | 48.33 |
| 6 | Baton Rouge, LA | 80 | 36.43 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | 201 | 35.56 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | 200 | 31.58 |
| 9 | New Orleans, LA | 115 | 31.58 |
| 10 | Cleveland, OH | 105 | 28.95 |
Wade and other Jackson leaders know there’s no room for complacency.
“I’m not going to have a victory lap. I’m not going to hand out participation trophies,” Wade said emphatically. “Because we still have an issue with conflict. People go from zero to assault rifles.”
Growing resources, a steadily improving youth crime prevention program, and buy-in from city leaders seem to be just the start if the City with Soul will jettison its reputation for bloodshed. But less death than the year before – for a third straight year – offers a foundation to build on.
