NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi city recorded a decrease in homicides and its police chief said it was possible thanks to a law enforcement partnership.
There were three homicides in Natchez in 2019, compared to 12 the year before, said police chief Walter Armstrong, The Natchez Democrat reported.
The drop came at the same time the city’s police department partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Department of Corrections and other agencies for Project EJECT, U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst said. The acronym stands for Empower Justice, Expel Crime Together, Hurst said.
Project EJECT was implemented in Jackson in 2017. It helped reduce crime there by 7% in its first year, Hurst said.
Natchez also took part in Project NOLA, a community-based crime camera system. Nearly 120 cameras were installed throughout the city, the police chief said.
In addition, the police department increased salaries to recruit and retain officers, Armstrong said.
