Clarksdale finds itself among some of the top rankings in the United States, but the top numbers are nothing to brag about.
The city finds itself as number 16 in the country in the number of burglaries per 100,000 people according to statistics collected by City Data and number 25 in murders, consultant Mac Crank told a group of about 35 people during Tuesday night’s first community crime forum.
“This is a list we have to get off of,” Crank told those gathered in the gym at Booker T. Washington Elementary School.
And it is his and city officials’ hopes that a five-year strategic plan that will guide and revamp the Clarksdale Police Department will help Clarksdale improve its public safety and crime numbers.
The first part of that strategic plan is the gathering of public input at community crime forums like Tuesday’s. There are three other forums planned for this week: one that was held Wednesday afternoon in downtown Clarksdale; another scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Heidelberg Elementary School at 801 Maple St.; and the final one at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the National Guard Armory at 924 Ritchie St.
The meetings are open to the public and free food is being offered to encourage community participation.
“What we want to know are your opinions,” Crank told the group gathered Tuesday.
Among the items touched on during Tuesday’s forum were the difficulty in getting a conviction in the local court system; no accountability for the parents of the youth who are committing the crimes; the need for more males in parental roles; having the city’s various departments working together; neighborhood watch programs; and bringing back the CrimeStoppers program in Clarksdale.
Crank, who is now a part-time resident in Clarksdale, said in the 10 years he’s lived here he’s had his home broken into three times, had two trucks stolen and his car broken into on three occasions. He said there is a need for change.
Christine McDaniel, who was one of those in attendance, agreed.
“It’s a shame that our freedoms are being taken by our children and grandchildren,” she said. “We’re in lockdown at night in our own homes.”
Crank said the information gathered from the four public forums will be compiled and then presented to a five-person steering committee. That group has not yet been formed as Crank said each of the four city commissioners, as well as mayor Chuck Espy, will appoint a member to that committee.
The committee will then go over the information from the public, as well as from a survey that members of the Clarksdale Police Department will fill out, and then start work on putting together the five-year strategic plan.
Crank said, currently, the community and police aren’t working together very well. He anticipates that community policing will be part of the strategic plan, in which officers will be walking and patrolling the various neighborhoods in Clarksdale.
“We want to get more in the neighborhoods,” Crank said. “We’ve got to have that line of communication between the public and police.”
