- Acknowledging the City of Jackson's troubling crime statistics, Simpson says he intends to build on collaboration between the community and law enforcement to address crime and violence.
- Simpson does not believe increasing police presence alone is sufficient.
- With more than two decades of experience, Simpson says he is ready for the challenge.
- WATCH THE VIDEO for Simpson's remarks on his philosophy and approach to law enforcement.
- WATCH TWO BONUS VIDEOS BELOW for extra excerpts from the interview.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The City of Jackson is about to have a new police chief.
"Collaboration, relationships….If we can get people to bring forth information, that helps tremendously," says current Jackson County Undersheriff Christopher Simpson. He is set to be sworn in Tuesday night.
I sat down with him to talk about his goals and hopes for his new role in keeping our city safe.
He's set to lead a department where he has experience wearing the badge. He served at the Jackson Police Department for more than two decades.
His philosophy?
"It's not to provide what some would call a 'police state', or 'over-policing', but it is key to knowing the information your community is providing you with," says Simpson.
BONUS VIDEO 1:
Simpson says he's big on data-driven decision-making and a whole-community approach.
He says "Violence in our community is not just a police problem. It's a community problem. And it takes a community to help solve those issues."
I asked Simpson about our city's crime data.
"Sure, there's a lot of stats that support that Jackson, for a small city, per capita, is a violent city," Simpson acknowledged.
BONUS VIDEO 2 — DOES JACKSON HAVE A "GANG PROBLEM"?
But he says the Jackson Police Department's Group Violence Intervention program is a step in the right direction. The program relies on community collaboration with police to identify potential issues and intervene before crimes are committed.
"If we don't have the piece — the community helping us," says Simpson, "then, you know, sometimes we're just rowing with one paddle."
City Council votes Tuesday evening on Simpson's appointment.
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