Miss. Mayor Declares Emergency Over Crime

Jackson's mayor declared a state of civil emergency and tightened a juvenile curfew Thursday, saying he wants to make the capital city "safe and secure."

Mayor Frank Melton, a first-term mayor whose campaign was built around cutting crime, said he would institute the emergency conditions for at least 30 days, until "the community tells me they feel they are safe and secure."

State law only lets mayors declare an emergency for five days, and City Council members have questioned whether Melton can declare an emergency and require new curfews without their approval.

The new curfew prohibits people under 18 from being outside their homes unchaperoned after 8 p.m. on weeknights and 10 p.m. on weekends.

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger said its review of crime statistics for the current year through June 11 shows city crime is up 26 percent compared to the same period in 2005.

Melton had said last week that he wanted to declare a state of emergency and bring in the Mississippi National Guard, similar to what New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco did earlier this week in their hurricane-ravaged city.

The proclamation Melton signed Thursday doesn't mention the National Guard.