Vicksburg Chief of Police Penny Jones took the floor, microphone in hand, Wednesday night as the Vicksburg Police Department (VPD) leadership gathered behind her for a town hall-style meeting VPD organized in the dining room of the McDonald’s restaurant on Clay Street.

Prior to the meeting, Jones said the idea behind occasional town hall gatherings in locations throughout Vicksburg is simply to allow citizens an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns face-to-face with law enforcement.

While Wednesday’s meeting covered the typical hot-button issues, namely shootings, auto thefts and burglaries and drugs, a theme emerged as VPD officials took turns speaking with the crowd.

“If you keep seeing stuff, keep saying stuff,” Lt. Nicholas Carson said.

Jones agreed, telling those in attendance to call 911 even when they are unsure if a threat is real.

In response to a question from a citizen who said she is sometimes unsure if noises she hears are gunshots or fireworks, Jones said it is always better to err on the side of caution.

“Call 911 anyway,” Jones said. “If you hear one bang, that might be someone shooting at an animal, or it could be a car backfiring, but if you hear several in rapid succession, that’s something else. But, always call 911 so we know and we can send someone out to check the area.”

With more than one question posed concerning the recent rash of shootings and car thefts in and around Vicksburg, Jones and Deputy Chief of Police Troy Kimble each said VPD is exploring options to help with issues ranging from mental health to truancy in an effort to snuff out the root causes of crime in the River City, but both said the public’s help is the key to fighting that battle.

“If you see something, say something,” Jones reiterated. 

“You guys know for a fact if your neighbors beside you are shooting a weapon, before we even get there,” Kimble said. “If someone is shooting out in their yard, you know for sure before we do. And if someone always has cars coming by and only staying for a few minutes at a time, you know there is probably something going with drugs.”

Kimble said, while VPD employs a number of weapons in its arsenal when it comes to snuffing out drugs and violent offenders, it will take assistance from the public to truly put a stop to illegal activity.

“All of the things we’ve been talking about, it’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove and that evidence may come from your tips,” Kimble said. “We’ll, as they say, keep it real for a moment. People talk about snitching. No one wants to tell the truth until it hits close to home. So, when you see something, say something. That’s what helps us to actually solve these crimes.”

VPD said residents can always call 911 in an emergency, but added tips for ongoing investigations, or to report suspicious behavior, can be given anonymously by calling the police department at 601-636-2511 or Crime Stoppers at 601-355-8477 (TIPS).