Should the City of Jackson offer rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people who burglarize local businesses?
That question surfaced Tuesday, March 10, during a Jackson City Council meeting after Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes proposed offering up to a $2,500 reward tied to two recent burglaries.
The order would authorize a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who burglarized Martin’s Furniture and Appliances and Hometown Bar-B-Que.
Ward 3 City Council Member Kenneth Stokes speaks during a city council meeting at City Hall in Jackson on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
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Stokes said the language of the proposal was intentionally written to require both an arrest and a conviction before any reward could be paid.
“We’re not satisfied, and we’re not going to allow just an arrest,” Stokes said. “It must be a conviction.”
He argued the city needs to take stronger action to address crime affecting businesses.
“Too many of our businesses because of crime and criminal activity are moving to Madison and Rankin County,” Stokes said. “We cannot allow criminal activity to kill this city.”
Stokes said business closures in neighborhoods throughout Jackson have already taken a toll, pointing to stores and restaurants that have shut down in recent years following crime incidents. Thieves are “bleeding these inner-city neighborhoods out.”
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Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay told Stokes that residents can call Central Mississippi Crime Stoppers, which already offers rewards of up to $2,500 for tips related to crimes in Jackson.
But Stokes wasn’t convinced. He said he believes the city should take additional steps.
“Crime Stoppers might be good, but they ain’t doing the damn thing in Ward 3,” he said.
Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley also raised concerns about protecting businesses from property crime and asked whether the Jackson Police Department has a broader strategy focused on preventing burglaries.
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Michael Allen, an officer with the Jackson Police Department, said the department has a property crimes unit that investigates burglaries and other theft-related cases. Incoming Police Chief RaShall Brackney is working on strategies to address both property and violent crime in the city.
Ward 6 Councilwoman Lashia Brown-Thomas, who represents South Jackson, said she supported addressing the issue but raised concerns about offering rewards tied to specific businesses, saying other business owners could ask why their cases were not included.
Brown-Thomas moved to send the proposal to the council’s Public Safety and Parks Committee for further discussion. The council approved the motion in a 4-2 vote, with Stokes and Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote voting against and Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley abstaining.
The committee will now review the proposal and could recommend whether the city should move forward with offering rewards in future cases involving burglarized businesses.
Charlie Drape is the Jackson beat reporter. You can contact him at cdrape@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS council debates reward for catching business burglars
