JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Last year Jackson city leaders devised a bill to increase security at local convenient stores.
Monday they reversed the bill, after less than five months after it went into effect.
In September, the Jackson City Council members adopted an ordinance requiring convenience stores to hire their own security, after several violent events at Jackson gas stations.
The robbery and murder of security guard James McKinney being one of them.
The Jackson man gunned down at the shell gas station on Jefferson and Fortification Street.
Monday Jackson city officials reversed the law, saying it was too hard to enforce.
"We had reporting requirements that the previous councilman said need to go to JPD," said Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell. "It didn't address it in the ordinance so it just was confusing, caused a lot of problems quite frankly, there are some people all over the state that were very concerned what precedents this might set."
The convenience store security law drafted by then Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, now Hinds County District 5 supervisor.
An election will be held Tuesday to fill his vacated council seat.
Council members also agreed to enter into a memorandum of agreement with University Medical Center, for the Lakeland drive improvement project.
The University will build a new entrance off Lakeland, for access to their new pharmacy school, to be build in the near future.
U.M.C. will receive $3 million in federal grants to make improvements to the street there.
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