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Residents report burglaries and difficulty getting police victim certifications; city offers immediate officer response for burglary complaint
Summary
A resident reported repeated break-ins at her home and asked for more police attention; an immigration attorney told the council that the Jackson Police Department had not responded to repeated requests for victim-cooperation certifications needed for immigration cases.
Two members of the public used the council’s public-comment period on March 18 to describe personal safety concerns and difficulties getting responses from city agencies.
Quincy West told the council he had multiple break-ins at his home, with personal items and documents taken. Officers in the chamber offered to speak with West and address the immediate theft concerns. “I just feel violated… I don't know how they're getting into my home,” West said. Council staff directed West to the police officers present to pursue immediate assistance.
Abby Peterson, an immigration attorney, described ongoing difficulty obtaining victim-cooperation certifications from the Jackson Police Department — a form published on the department’s website that, by policy, should be issued to victims cooperating with police for immigration purposes. Peterson said she had contacted the officers named on the department’s website—Captain Chiquita Childs and Lieutenant Obi Wells Jr.—“no less than 10 times” since September 2024 and had not received a response. She said she then sought assistance from Deputy Chief Banks but still had not received timely help.
Peterson told the council the lack of response puts clients in a “catch-22” because the department requires meetings that must be scheduled through the same officers who are not responding. She asked the mayor, the city’s legal team and the police chain of command to provide a remedy so victims who are cooperating can obtain the required documentation.
City staff in the chamber urged the burglary victim to speak with the officers present for immediate help. Council and administration officials acknowledged Peterson’s report and signaled the administration and police leadership would be asked to follow up to clarify the process and provide contact avenues for victims and the attorneys representing them.
