Baby Baghdad?

[Joelaw]

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060709/NEWS01/607090310/1002

"The two deaths bring the county's violent death toll to eight since January. Jefferson Davis County's population, according to 2004 Census Bureau estimates, is 13,087. That translates to a per capita violent death rate of one per 1,636 residents."



I work with some guys from Prentiss and they call it baby Baghdad, as bad as Hattiesburg is its still safer than Prentiss.

[daisy]

Joe Law, You're right. I grew up in Prentiss and still go there to work some and to visit my mother, who lives in town. She lives in a neighborhood with 4 law enforcement officers all within 1/2 a mile. Her neighborhood has a great unofficial neighborhood watch, neighbors that watch everything and call each other to watch each other and keep each other informed.

I mentioned to my car insurance agent that I was going to Prentiss and he said, "oh, that's rough. Take your gun. I said I'll be careful and I realized how we get used to things and how much safer Hattiesburg is overall.

I don't know what the answer is. It does seem to be worse out of the city limits and in some areas such as dope road or used to be. I knew the 3 officers that were killed awhile back, Tommy Bourne and J.P. Rutland -- the deputies that were transporting Eric Snow without the Bittle cage and somehow got a gun and fatally shot them both on the way to Parchman. I also knew Ron Jones, the city policeman who was shot going in on a drug bust in the city. He and his family still live on the street up the hill from mother.

A few years back when my sister lived in Prentiss, she was sent to Piggly Wiggly to get mother her ice cream. MY sister was shopping and heard all this yelling and commotion and saw an altercation at the register by the robbers with a gun so she thought about hiding in the ice cream freezer but wasn't sure she'd fit. She sneaked down the aisle to the back and one of the back people had called for help and was trying to protect people. When it was all over, my sister went home without the ice cream and Mother was upset because she didn't have her ice cream. My sister said when it was all over one oder lady was still shopping and was probably unaware of what had happened. Some of the freezers on the outside aisles can be loud.

That Piggly Wiggly got a security guard after that. I am just aware when I'm there and don"t go in certain areas at night and even to certain convenience stores at night.

Jeff Davis county has a high unemployment rate and has been home to David Warner and other drug importers and exporters and has a lot of good people in it.

A businessman started a crime solvers network after he and his wife were victims of a robbery and beaten and held captive out in the country.







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[Joelaw]

Wow, Daisy good story ....

Why do you think a small community such as Jefferson Davis county has such a drug problem? Is it due to the high unemployment rate ( you said something about that in your post )or is it other social factors like education, hopelessness or lack of things for young people to do? Can it be fixed? Or will the surrounding area treat it like no man’s land?
Sometimes we don't see how good we have it until we look at other areas. Like I said before as bad as Hattiesburg is it’s nothing compared to Prentiss.

[daisy]

I don't have a clue what the solution is. I know back when I was in high school one of our teachers said Bassfield was one of the busiest drug running places and that was in the early 70's. The past economic director said he hads to compete with businesses to bring in facories,etc; and then the school system is not like Oak Grove or Sumrall. That's not a+ at all. You could send your child to private school for 200-300 a month.

I'm not sure what you mean about no man's land. We do have businesses
leaving and it's hard to replace them. I think there's also an air of hopelessness and intimidation especially when some of the offenders are released again and again. I think people feel very ignored and scared.

I'll have to think on this.

Joe when I was looking at the crime stats I also noticed Collins outdid H'Bg on crime.

[Joelaw]

I'm not sure what you mean about no man's land.

What I mean is a situation when everyone is moving out and no one is moving in, then the only people who are left are the ones who are too old to move or the ones who do not want to move ( because they can commit crime and do not have to worry about law enforcement getting in the way ).

[daisy]

JoeLaw I like your Sir Mickey Mouse.That woke me up. I see what you mean by No Man's Land. A few older retired people are moving there andbut not enough to take away the above name. Also the county may not have but 1-3 officers on patrol at night unless they've gone up and then if they arrest someone they have to come in to the jail. I forget how many square miles but that's a lot of area to cover and last time I heard the county officers didn't make a whole lot. That may have gone up, not enough to split hairs on. I'm sure HPD pays better.:smt102

[Joelaw]

I feel the only hope is for the good people of that area to stand up and say they are not going to take it. They need to start neighborhood watch programs, work hand in hand with law enforcement and take their community back.