HA: Violence may scare off businesses

[Kitty]

Economic impact? (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061011/NEWS01/610110313/1002)

[carsalesguy]

this place has gone to $hit, and it's not because of all of the "outside" people hanging around from the storm......

[OLDLADY]

I have mentioned this before a long time ago in an old thread.... but I believe and have heard that some businesses have turned down Hattiesburg as a site to relocate due to the current situations here, but you will not hear it officailly reported that way, not to bash the ADP, but they will not admit it. Although we do have lots of new businesses out toward 98, you don't hear tell of any industries and such. I stand corrected after reading the article, maybe they are semi-admitting it.

[Biggie]

Man forget about them gangs, I'm just glad I ain't in school no more with all these clowns going psycho and messin with these kids everywhere. I wouldn't even want to be standing around waiting for a bus. Home-schooling may be the best option for kids now a days.

[wilebill]

While the HA is making it sound like Dupree's and Wynn's plan is the best thing to happen for the city since sliced bread, they need to add a dose of reality to these so-called ideas.

Let's make the analogy of the PD being a football team, with Wynn is the QB and Dupree as the coach. Down 35-0 in the fourth quarter, the offense is facing 4th and 40 and Dupree calls a trick play. Maybe they'll get a first down, but the odds are against them. Even if they do get a first down they'll still be behind by a large margin. Even if they score a touchdown they're still behind by 2 scores. And they definitely can't rely on trick plays the rest of the season to get them out of binds like these.

It's going to take more than trick plays, it takes the basic components of a professional organization with the right number of people in the right place at the right time.

[lamarrebel]

Recently, I heard Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel speak at a meeting, and during it, I asked him, "Sheriff, not to pick on your former employer (Rigel was with HPD for years before leaving to run for Sheriff), but how many openings for patrol and other officers do you have in your department now?" The Sheriff smiled at me and answered, "none." The Lamar County SD is currently budgeted for 38 officers, which is considerably smaller than HPD, but it still shows the results and turnover you have (or lack thereof) when you have good management and leadership from the top.

There is no doubt that the criminal element is taking notice of and being emboldened by the chaos within HPD. If almost forty percent of the budgeted force isn't out there on the streets, then there is a much less likelihood that an officer is going to catch any particular criminal act.

I no longer live in Hattiesburg proper, but you cannot have a truly healthy Oak Grove, Petal and other surrounding areas without a healthy core in Hattiesburg. And there is no doubt that eventually crime will drive away businesses and customers from shopping in unsafe areas, which will simply make the problem worse.

Prior to David Wynn, HPD was recognized as one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the state. Since then, the department has lost almost all recognition of its former self. The Mayor and his puppetmaster need to realize that the complaints against Wynn are not about race, but about performance, and Wynn has failed miserably.

The Mayor should show some real leadership and not even put Wynn up for a vote, but simply replace him. Enough is enough!