NATCHEZ — An Adams County resident asked the county board of supervisors Monday to help deter crime because she “would not want Natchez to become another Jackson.”

Juanita Searcy, a 25-year resident of the Broadmoor area, appeared before the board Monday asking for an increased presence from the sheriff’s office in the area following a fatal shooting on Kings Circle last month.

“I am representing my community,” Searcy said. “I thought somebody should step forward and speak.”

“At one point, Broadmoor was the area for upwardly mobile blacks in our community, and I have seen it go down.”

The man who was killed in the shooting was not from the Broadmoor area, though some of those accused were, she said.

After the incident, Searcy did not observe more patrol cars in the area, she said.

“I believe if there is a murder in the neighborhood, I should have seen more patrol car coming through our neighborhood,” Searcy said. “I know neighbors have to assist the sheriff’s office, but visibility is a must.

“Many people are afraid to come forward because we have to live in this community, but if the sheriff units are coming through, you can see the children standing around, congregating, and maybe investigate it.”

Searcy went on to say she was concerned about Adams County in general, and she would like to see more patrols around the county, which might mean adding deputies.

“Natchez is such a wonderful place, and I would hate to see Natchez become a place similar to Jackson, which has four or five instances of violence every day,” she said.

“I know they have an extensive area to patrol, and it is my opinion that maybe we need to look at adding deputy sheriffs.”

Supervisor Darryl Grennell said in the past county residents had offered the county property on which they could build a sheriff’s substation, but the sheriff at the time was not interested in the proposal.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office Col. Debbie Gee said Sheriff Chuck Mayfield has asked for funding for more deputies and equipment every year.

“When you have 500 miles and four deputies per shift, it is hard to make all those calls during that time,” Gee said.

Sheriff-elect Travis Patten was in attendance at the meeting.

Searcy also charged the board to do more to offer more recreation opportunities and help people find jobs.

“Our children have three things to do in this community, drugs, drinking and sexual activity,” she said. “As a voter and a member of this community, I am dismayed by it.”

While the local recreation programs offer softball, baseball and basketball, “some children aren’t interested in that,” she said.

Supervisor Mike Lazarus said that was one of the reasons he has contacted the YMCA about running the city-county recreation program.

The two governments recently entered into an agreement to consolidate their recreation programs, and the YMCA — if it comes on board — would be able to offer a number of programs that have not been available before, Lazarus said.

Board attorney Scott Slover said the supervisors have worked with economic developers to help create 800 jobs in recent years.