Fedex Jackson routes back after security incidents

Fedex will not specifically say what led the home-delivery giant to shut down routes in areas of Jackson recently for at least 24 hours, but the routes were restored this week.

When contacted to ask why service to part of South Jackson had been suspended, a Fedex representative said that she could not say and would only refer to a prepared statement.

“Due to a number of recent security incidents, deliveries were temporarily paused in a certain area of Jackson. We can confirm that service has been restored to the affected area. As always, customers with questions can visit http://fedex.com to check the status of shipments or engage with customer service,” the statement read.

While reports Fedex suspended routes within the 39204 area code, the company’s representative would not confirm exactly where the route was that was halted.

The 39204 area code comprises an area from John R. Lynch Street to the north to Mcdowell Road to the South. It also covers from as far west as Robinson Road to as far east as Gallatin Street.

It’s not the first time Fedex has dealt with violence on its routes in Jackson. In 2021, Fedex driver Robert Williams was shot and killed while he was sitting inside his truck on Booker T. Washington Street. However, Booker T. Washington Street is not in the same 39204 area code as is being discussed now.

Jackson has been under fire in recent weeks and months for crime. Gov. Tate Reeves has even weighed in on the issue as he called the capital city the “murder capital of the world” in a press conference.

In response to a question about House Bill 1020, which would put the power to appoint judges solely in the hands of the chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court and to appoint prosecutors solely in the hands of the attorney general, Reeves said, “Look,

Jackson is the murder capital of the world, and that is not a title we should be proud of. The thought of doing nothing should not be an option.”

For 2022, Jackson recorded at least 130 homicides.

It was third consecutive year, Jackson had recorded more than 100 homicides. In 2020, Jackson reached a record-breaking 128 homicides. Then in 2021 the city surpassed that record, reaching 155 homicides prompting the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting to proclaim Jackson as “America’s Deadliest Major City.”

So far in 2023, Jackson has recorded 18 homicides.