Wayne County leaders, community brainstorming ways to fight crime

WAYNE COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Kids and crime stand together at the top of the list of concerns in Wayne County.

“No community is immune to it,” Wayne County Community Affairs Officer Sean Dunlap said.

Dozens of Wayne County residents voiced their concerns to county leaders Tuesday night, citing an uptick in drive-by shootings and murders.

“This has been going on for three or four years and it’s time for the community to fight back and let’s make some corrections in the way we deal with our culture in today’s world,” said Wayne County Sheriff Jerry Mosley.

What is the county going to do about it?

“We talked about curfew, getting the kids off the streets,” Mosley said. “We’re looking into Crime Stoppers, which we’ve been doing that for the last few months, and, hopefully, we’ll have that up and running soon.

“Some discussed about neighborhood watches, and that’s a really good program.”

The Mississippi Department of Homeland Security, the 10th Circuit Court district attorney and judges also were in attendance.

Leaders said the town hall-style meeting was a safe space to brainstorm solutions and build their relationship with the community.

“People were allowed to express their concerns, their fears, and how they would like to see this community improved,” Dunlap said. “We listened to every word that was said.”

Mosley said he hoped to change the culture among young people, but it starts with the accountability.

“This is a community problem,” Mosley said. “We’re having people’s homes getting shot into and kids shot at and we’ve got to put a stop to it.

“We needed everybody’s input because the sheriff’s office and the police department, we just have our personnel and we’re trying to govern a county.”

Now, the county plans to sift through the suggestions and frustrations of more than 100 attendees before hosting another session.

“We’re doing more than just talking about it,” Dunlap said. “Now, people see that we’re ready to take action.”

Mosley said the process is in its earliest stage of developing suggestions into plans.

But, Mosely said his department does plan to talk with the community again as they come up with ways to enforce some of the suggestions offered.

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