There is violent crime all across America, but the crime that concerns us most is the crime that occurs in Clarksdale and Coahoma County.
This community saw its first mass shooting in May with 14 people carried to the hospital after a Sunday morning shooting downtown.
And while Clarksdale has seen several shootings this summer, the one that seems to have gotten the attention of local leaders is the shooting of four teenagers in the 400 block of Andrews Street just two weeks ago. The shooting was just down the street from where Supervisor Johnny Newson says he lives.
Your Clarksdale Press Register was pleased to see Clarksdale Commissioner Ed Seals ask for answers this week and, more importantly, ask for arrests in that shooting and the mass shooting in downtown Clarksdale more than a month ago.
Andrews Street is Seals’s ward and more importantly it is his neighborhood. This career educator, father and grandfather - like so many others in the Brickyard neighborhood - has had enough.
We were pleased to see Seals politely ask Police Chief Robbie Linley about the need for arrests. Those that know Linley and officers looking into these crimes know it is at the top of their list.
Coahoma County has also seen multiple shootings and murders. Sheriff Charles Jones and his deputies are doing their best, too.
So this newspaper politely asks what Clarksdale and Coahoama County need to do to help law enforcement stop the violence?
We suggest authorities offer hefty rewards to those who know something about these crimes and want to see it stopped.
Crimestoppers - as the name implies - needs to once again be revived and put back in place.
This community also sought the help of state and federal authorities several years ago and cleaned up Clarksdale and Coahoma County. The families of young people in this community can only hope that phone call has already been made.
Last but not least, Clarksdale and Coahoma County need to support law enforcement. This is election season and we hope no one will use this as an opportunity to make life harder on our Sheriff’s department simply for political gain.
Finding evidence on gang members is not easy and arresting armed, violent men is dangerous work that few want to do.
As your Clarksdale Press Register has done many times before, we urge the good people of this community to call law enforcement with tips about crime. We urge those who live in fear in their homes to take courage and call someone they trust when they know about crime.
Too many children have been hurt and killed. It’s time we all do something to stop the violence.
