JACKSON — A Jackson Police Department 911 dispatcher has been criminally charged after investigators allege she used law enforcement resources to provide information to people associated with criminal activity, while a JPD detective has been placed on unpaid administrative leave as an independent state investigation begins, Police Chief RaShall Brackney said Thursday.
The dispatcher was charged by the department’s Robbery Homicide Division with one count of accessory after the fact and one count of hindering prosecution. A judge set her bond at $100,000, Brackney said during a Thursday news conference.
Brackney said the investigation began while detectives were investigating several shootings, including one near Wildfire Way. During interviews with witnesses and persons of interest, investigators developed information raising concerns about the dispatcher’s possible involvement.
According to Brackney, investigators determined the dispatcher may have used departmental resources to access the National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, to determine whether firearms had been reported stolen. She allegedly provided that information to people associated with criminal activity who were under investigation.
As the investigation continued, Brackney said detectives uncovered additional allegations that the dispatcher may have diverted police officers from calls in a way that furthered criminal activity involving people she knew.
Investigators also developed information that the identities of undercover officers and investigators may have been improperly disclosed, potentially compromising active investigations and putting law enforcement personnel at risk, Brackney said.
The investigation expanded Thursday after authorities developed information suggesting a JPD detective may also have been compromised as part of the case.
Brackney said she immediately contacted Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell and requested an independent investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
The detective was placed on unpaid administrative leave, and the officer’s police powers were suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. Brackney declined to release additional information about the detective, including how long the officer had worked for the department.
She also declined to speculate about whether the dispatcher and detective may have been working together, saying that determination would be left to MBI investigators.
Brackney said bringing in an outside agency was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure there would be no interference.
“The integrity of our cases, the integrity of this department must come before any individual regardless of their rank, their position, or their affiliation,” Brackney said.
She said the department would not protect anyone because they wear a uniform and would follow the investigation wherever the facts lead.
“We will not tolerate any corruption, any criminal activity, regardless of who is the person that is committing it,” Brackney said, adding that the department would continue to provide information to the public as it becomes available.
Brackney emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing and that allegations are not convictions. All individuals involved are entitled to due process, she said.
The dispatcher was formally charged and is no longer performing her duties, Brackney said.
