Jackson officials tout public safety tax

A proposed half-cent sales tax would allow the city of Jackson to hire more police officers to combat crime, which police chief James Humphreys said is desperately needed.

Humphreys, Jackson city administrator Jim Roach and fire chief Jason Mouser discussed the tax proposal Thursday at a meeting of the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau.

Humphreys told the crowd of more than 20 people that "we need more boots on the ground."

Jackson has 24 officers, including 11 patrol officers. Humphreys said, "We need at least five more officers."

The 15,000-population city often has only two patrol officers available to respond to calls during a single shift, he said.

At times, the police department has to request assistance from other law enforcement agencies, Humphreys said.

"Right now, we have become more reactive than proactive," he said.

The tax measure, which will be on the April 3 ballot, would allow the city to make significant public-safety improvements, city officials said.

If approved by voters, revenue from the tax, along with existing reserve funding, would finance construction of a $7 million police station, rehab the existing public safety building currently shared by the fire department and police department at an estimated cost of $1.5 million, add four to five new patrol officers, another school resource officer and a fire-department training officer.

Jackson has three school resource officers and would benefit from having a fourth resource officer, Humphreys said. Such officers can help save lives in the event of school shootings, he told the audience.

"It doesn't mean it is going to stop it, but it can save a lot of lives, he added.

As the community grows, so does the amount of crime, the police chief said.

The new police station, which would include space for municipal court, would be built on a public parking lot, adjacent to the existing public safety building.

Roach said much of the sales tax money would provide badly needed operational funding for the police and fire departments. The city annually spends about $2.5 million to operate the police department and $2 million to fund the fire department.

"They are our two biggest operations," the city administrator said.

"Most of the (proposed sales tax) money will go for personnel," Roach said.

Mouser, the fire chief, said passage of the tax also would fund renovations to allow the fire department to use all of the space in the existing police and fire station. Administrative offices, now housed in another building, would be moved back into the building, he said.

"It is going to make things more efficient," he said, adding renovations would provide modern living space to allow for the future hiring of female firefighters.

City officials said the existing public safety building is undersized and outdated. Since it opened, Jackson's population has nearly doubled, according to officials.

Humphreys said he hopes construction of a new police station could begin later this year, with the facility opening in 2019.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641