JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba updated residents on the city’s progress in the 2023 State of the City address on Thursday, October 26.

The main theme from the mayor was mixed between celebration and recognition. It was a celebration of what the City of Jackson has accomplished in the past year, while also recognizing the challenges and how far the city has to go in certain aspects.

Lumumba spent a lot of his time thanking the men and women who work for the city.

WJTV 12 News asked the mayor if he could sum up what the past year has been like for the capital city.

“I think it’s been a year full of challenge, but it’s also been a year of promise. You know, we’ve had the challenges that are obvious, like water infrastructure the violence that not only has increased in Jackson over time, but across the nation. And in those challenges, we see historic funding as I said. We see officers coming back to JPD. We’ve actually had two consecutive years of violent crimes on a decline. There’s still a lot of work to do but there’s reason for optimism because we’ve had tremendous success in the past,” said Lumumba.

Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade also spoke during the event. He said he’s confident the Jackson Police Department (JPD) can continue to lower crime in the capital city.