Recent gun violence sparked discussion of the possibility of having a detention center in Sunflower County.
District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald cited frequent gunfire in his community during Monday morning’s meeting of the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors.
According to Donald, four people were shot in the last month. On several occasions, the lawmaker has heard the gunfire himself.
“I walk for exercise when I’m not at the park. I walk Grove Park, and I have to hurry up and get my walk in in the evening because, by 7:30 p.m., people start shooting,” Donald said.
Donald said residents in Grove Park have to get out of their bed at night and take cover on their floors.
“Right here on Roosevelt Street where the BB King park and swimming pool is, they have to go on lockdown at the Delta Health Alliance Headstart several times a week sometimes and lay down on the floor,” Donald said.
Donald believes the gun violence that plagues the city results from youth crime.
“We have young people carrying guns,” Donald said. “They have 40-round clips, and they have a button that they put on it now that makes it automatic.”
Ultimately, Donald felt that the detention center would serve as a deterrence.
“I don’t know about saving money, but I think we can deter many youth crimes when they know that they are not going to just get in and get out,” Donald said.
District 5 Supervisor Gloria Dickerson looked at the issue from a different angle. Dickerson was concerned about the external factors that influence youth.
“These kids are getting guns from adults, so this is an adult issue,” Dickerson said. “We also need to turn around where parents are responsible for their kids. They are trained and know how to raise a child.”
Dickerson voiced that she didn’t think a detention center alone would solve the problem.
District 3 Supervisor Ben Gaston referenced law enforcement as an issue.
“One of the biggest problems we got in Indianola, I don’t know about the rest of Sunflower County, but I suspect, is the same. It is a policeman problem,” Gaston said. “You’re right. Every afternoon, they get out there and go to shoot guns. You can call the police department to report it, and they say we don’t hear anything, and then you say, ‘Well, why don’t you stick your head out the door.’”
Gaston also encouraged the board to look at the logistics of this potential project.
“Before you build a detention center, I would ask how many have you held in the last year and the cost,” Gaston said. “Then we have to look at the cost of running a detention center. I don’t think that is cheap. We need to look at all those things.”
According to Justice Court Judge Debra Giles, its costs around $125 per day to house juveniles in surrounding detention centers.
Giles told the ET that operating a detention center in Sunflower County has pros and cons. It seems that the good outweighs the bad, considering the need for housing.
“You have to have somewhere to put them, and if all these other facilities are full, that becomes a problem,” Giles said.
Sunflower County currently uses detention facilities in Washington County, Leflore County, and Yazoo County.
Giles also emphasized that they will need a shelter component.
“If these kids don’t have family members to go to, where can we put them?” Giles questioned.
Giles also mentioned that the detention center could bring revenue to the county because other counties can use it.
The board agreed to continue discussing the matter at later meetings.
