By Marshanna Hester

Public Information Officer, Jackson County Executive’s Office

The Jackson County Executive’s Chief of Staff, Caleb Clifford, has issued the following statement regarding a judge’s ruling on COMBAT:

“The County Executive will not be commenting on the latest decision regarding COMBAT until he has an opportunity to consult with the attorney’s hired by the County Counselor to handle this matter, which will likely be next week. However, as he has said from the beginning, the most important issue is not who oversees COMBAT, but to ensure COMBAT achieves its mission of creating a strong, safe community. His concern and focus will remain on the unacceptable levels of violence and drug use in our community despite the amount of taxpayer dollars that have been spent to curb it. Regardless of this or any subsequent rulings, the County Executive will remain committed to doing everything in his power to address these truly life and death issues.”