JACKSON POLICE STAND TO LOSE $250,000 A YEAR

About 2,000 Jackson Housing Authority residents could see increased
problems in their communities if a Bush proposal to end drug and crime
reduction programs in the nation's public housing complexes is passed.

President Bush argues that a $310 million program that issues grants for
various programs does not work and that there are better ways to make
public housing safer.

For JHA resident La Tanya Fason and her two daughters, the programs have
been very effective, as she has seen less activity among young drug
dealers, she said.

"It's been great," said Fason, an Allenton Heights resident for seven
years. "It keeps a lot of the chaos down and the hanging out down."

Since 1991, the efforts have been supported by a Public Housing Drug
Elimination Program grant of $250,000 annually, said Geneva Clark, social
services director for JHA.

The funding currently pays for Jackson Police Department officers, who work
flexible shifts to monitor activity at Parkview Courts, Merry-Lane Courts,
Allenton Heights and Lincoln Courts.

The drug prevention and education program, run by the Boys and Girls Club
of Jackson, includes peer mentoring with levels for different age groups.
Activities and supplies are paid for through the grant.

Fason said a police bike patrol in her neighborhood has made it safer and
that her 7-year-old daughter, Earnessa, even won a first-place prize in a
drug-free poster contest sponsored by the program.

Although Bush wants to end such programs, his administration wants to give
housing authorities $110 million next year to spend as they see fit.

However, JHA executive director Winston Henning said he doesn't want the
funds to be re-directed.

'It would have a significant impact on the JHA," Henning said. "We're
looking at (meetings in Congress) very closely."

Henning said the police team, called the Community Crime Reduction Unit,
has done more than the usual, including screening prospective residents for
apartments. He referred to them as the "response team" because they are
always present in the housing developments.

Lt. Jerry Truelove said the program started after JHA residents made
requests for help after their children grew weary of seeing homicides take
place in front of them. Through the program, officers have arrested and
prosecuted people for trespassing and drug-trafficking, which he said has
decreased over the years.

The residents who fear retaliation by crime offenders also can contact the
unit officers by pager to provide information, said Truelove, the district
commander for Area D.

"The residents trust them more than regular officers," Truelove said. "We
will see a difference if we lose this money."

He said the programs have benefitted both JHA residents and surrounding
community members, and he believes "it's well worth every penny that's
being spent there."

"What happens in public housing affects the whole city," Truelove said. "I
hope the president will see a way to keep the programs."

Terry McClarin, the executive director for the Boys and Girls Club, said he
hopes that the drug program, called Smart Moves, can remain a positive
force within the JHA.

"We feel the program gives the youth an awareness of what's out there and
what they're up against," he said. "We're educating them on things that are
detrimental to their health."

The funds given to the agency help finance a busing system in which
residents of Parkview Courts and Merry-Lane Courts are transported to the
Boys and Girls Club at 832 Lexington Ave.

McClarin believes the potential loss of funding could also take earned
income from staff members who run the program and could limit services
provided by the Boys and Girls Club.

"We have to look at our budget. At this time, we haven't truly addressed
it, but it is a concern of ours," he said.

Fason only hopes that the programs will remain because of their success in
her community, she said. "I've seen a vast improvement," she said, "and I
think if they take away these programs, there will be a lot more crimes
committed."