Lowndes County and Columbus law enforcement officials plan to meet with representatives from Mississippi Office of Homeland Security and other state authorities to help address a recent uptick in crime, and especially gun violence, in the city.
Leroy Brooks, District 5 supervisor and chairman of the community Crime Prevention Task Force, said he reached out to MOHS, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Attorney’s Office after several citizens approached him with concerns about recent shootings. Citizens from South Columbus, who also spoke at the city council meeting Tuesday, told Brooks they were shaken from a driveby shooting on Seventh Avenue South on Feb. 19. Another shooting on Seventh Street South a week later injured four people, three of whom were hospitalized in critical condition.
Brooks said he exchanged emails with MOHS Interim Executive Director Lora Hunter, who promised to work with local law enforcement and the task force, which Mayor Robert Smith formed last year after crime increased both nationally and locally.
“I think that if we can kind of calm some of this unrest about these shootings, it will give everybody time to prepare a comprehensive approach to crime prevention and aiding and assisting police,” Brooks said at a press conference outside Columbus Police Department Friday.
Brooks, Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton and Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said they hope to meet with MOHS representatives later this week.
Shelton said state authorities could be particularly helpful in providing equipment and technical support to local officers.
“We don’t want to give away some of our trade secrets on exactly what we need, but when we start talking about technology, we’re talking about more surveillance equipment,” Shelton said. “That would be a big plus for us. Additionally, if we had some more boots on the ground, (if) we had some more visible officers in uniform, I think that would work for us as well.”
Hawkins said the meeting would help determine what assets MOHS has that would fit Columbus’ needs.
“We can move forward from there,” he said.
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