Does former Jackson Police Chief Shirlene Anderson need to come back to a highly paid job on the city’s payroll?
In recent days, Mayor Frank Melton has said that Anderson would remain with the city, either addressing truancy issues and dropout rates or filling a new position: coordinator of emergency services.
The question the City Council should be asking is if Jackson needs either position.
Truancy is not the city’s No. 1 problem, and even if it were, it’s not the job of the city to hire truant officers, but Jackson Public Schools, which has its own officers. In fact, the average daily attendance for JPS is 95 percent.
Dropouts are a problem. But that’s an issue for the state Department of Education and the Legislature. The city is not involved. Again, JPS has its own policies.
Magnolia Tribune
