Crime-fighting questioned

Jackson resident Raymond Townsend almost pulled into the parking lot of S&S Food Mart on Sunday evening but changed his mind when he saw Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, flanked by police officers, using a dog to search cars.

"I don't think it's right at all," Townsend said Tuesday while pumping gas at the same convenience store at Bailey and Woodrow Wilson avenues. "I think he just became mayor to be the chief of police."

During Sunday's highly publicized crime sweep, Melton wore police garb and carried a shotgun. He knocked on doors attempting to serve warrants and later helped conduct random vehicle searches for weapons and drugs.

The mayor's crime-fighting tactics are raising eyebrows throughout the capital city as well as questions about possible civil rights violations and his authority to act as a police officer.

"I think all citizens should be alert to the potential misuse of legal authority," said Matt Steffey, a professor at the Mississippi College School of Law.

"While I applaud the mayor's initiative to fight crime, one has to respect the civil liberties of the citizens. I don't want to live in a police state, even though a police state would be good for fighting crime."

The first-term mayor was accompanied by Police Chief Shirlene Anderson Sunday night as they looked for an alleged Jackson gang member and tried to find someone Melton said had "threatened" him a couple of days earlier.

The mayor said he's a legitimate law enforcement officer.

"I'm what I want to be," Melton said. "I might be out with the Fire Department next week."

Melton pledged to lower crime in Jackson during his 2005 mayoral campaign against Harvey Johnson Jr.

Nsombi Lambright, director of the Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the mayor's "tough-on-crime" approach could backfire.

"It's just going into neighborhoods and terrorizing individuals, and that's not a very effective model," she said.

Melton said last week the public would have to trust him and that his methods would be legal and good for the city.

"If people would just leave me alone, I could do it," he said.

Melton said he has been a certified police officer "since 1974." But the former television executive and ex-director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics would not answer questions regarding certification.

"I'm not getting into that," he said. "It's none of your business."

According to records of the state's Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training, Melton is not a certified officer.

Robert Davis, executive director of the board, said those who aren't certified don't have the authority to use force, bear arms, make arrests or exercise any of the powers of a peace officer unless under the direct control and supervision of a law enforcement officer.

Melton revealed plans for Sunday's sweep when The Clarion-Ledger contacted him Friday to comment on a spate of drive-by shootings in Jackson over the past two weeks.

Melton said he would conduct widespread searches for weapons and warned his methods might appear unorthodox, but that he needed "additional latitude" from the public.

"I'm going to have to ask the community to let me step outside the box on this," he said. "We won't violate anybody's civil rights, we won't violate anybody's constitutional rights, and we certainly won't hurt anybody."

Specifically, Melton said he planned to search vehicles for guns and mentioned a convenience store parking lot near the Jackson Medical Mall he planned to hit.

"We're going to start searching for guns. We have to get the guns off the streets," he said. "I want to send the message that we will not tolerate this."

Melton invited reporters to join him on the sweep that he said was to serve arrest warrants on Christopher Walker, Albert "Batman" Donelson and a woman he says threatened him.

Melton never produced a warrant for the three people he was looking for and did not say whether a judge signed the warrants. Donelson already is in jail.

The Mobile Command Unit left Melton's house in north Jackson with blue lights and sirens on and traveled to Debo's Lounge on Raymond Road on the southside. Melton got out for a moment to speak to someone inside, and the vehicle moved on to the Donelson house on Huron Street.

Melton walked up to the door. Behind him were Jackson Police Detective Marcus Wright with a submachine gun and Sgt. Bill May with a dog, and the media.

"Somebody here threatening me?" Melton shouted. "Here I am."

Melton upset the women, and their crying and wailing could be heard outside the house.

"You can't do that," a woman's voice said from the inside.

Donelson's brother, Eddie Scott, was not home when the incident occurred. When he came home about eight hours later, he said his mother and sister were still crying and very upset. Scott said his mother was so upset they took her to the hospital.

"She's scared to come back home, because she's afraid Frank might do something else that ain't right," Scott said.

He added the alleged threat does "not pertain to our family."

"We have been through court, through drama, then for a mayor to do this, it overwhelmed her, and she was hurt by it," Scott said.

He watched the incident on television and called it "inappropriate."

"That's not the way the mayor is supposed to act," Scott said. "I think he's misusing his powers."

Scott said Melton did not show any warrant, and no one is wanted in his home.

"Whatever you have against somebody, you don't take it out on their family," Scott said. "That's not the way he is supposed to run the city. I think he has violated our rights at our house."

The third stop was the Exxon gas station at the corner of Bailey Avenue Extension and Woodrow Wilson Avenue.