A mayor in Mississippi wants to get rid of dope and gangbangers so much that he’s willing to pay for it.
Clarksdale mayor, Chuck Espy is offering gang members, drug dealers and “wannabe criminals” money to leave the area in order to limit crime in his town, according to Newsweek.
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Espy wants local philanthropists to contribute to a moving assistance fund as part of a five-point plan to curb crime, which in turn comes from a Clarksdale Police Department review.
The mayor of the city, about 90 minutes southwest of Memphis, also announced in a statement that a no tolerance policy, the preservation of life, rehabilitation programs and intervention is also included in the plan.
He said during a press conference that the fund will be “as deep as the mayor’s pocket,” starting out as close to $10,000 to help city residents leave the area and “start new lives.”
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“They may be in the wrong environment,” the mayor told reporters during a press conference at Clarksdale City Hall. “So, what I’m saying as the mayor today, I will put money on the line to assist those type of people to move out of the city.
“It’s not to say you just want one criminal to move from one city to the next,” Espy added. “They might just not have the good opportunities they need in this city.
“But make no mistake about it, we are asking those three groups of people; if you are just simply a criminal, if you are a gang member or a drug dealer, move out of this city now.”
Espy wants local businesses and philanthropists to contribute money to keep the city safer as well.
“We encouraged [potential criminals] to stay in our city and become great citizens,” Reverend John Givins said to Memphis station WHBQ , who is working alongside the police and mayor to minimize crime. “We will also be putting an etiquette class in place for these people. And we have skill sets to prepare them for jobs coming to the city of Clarksdale.”
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Espy also brought up the point that since there will be more kids playing outside during the summer, the city needs to be “a safer place” to support his decision.
“We want everyone in the city of Clarksdale to live safe, to be safe. We do not want to see a child dead in the streets,” Espy said. “We do not want to see an innocent bystander getting shot.”