County Prosecutors Holds Victims of Violent Crimes Memorial

Residents listen as victims of violent crimes names were read Saturday morning at the annual ceremony.

By Jeff Steers | JTV

(8/12/2023, 12:40PM):

It seemed only fitting at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office ceremony Saturday that it was raining.

As each name of those victims of violent crimes names were read, it rained harder – sort of tears from Heaven.

The 30-minute annual ceremony was held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Memorial near the corner of High and Randolph streets.

Nine plaques and 10 names from 2022 were added to the Victims of Violent Crimes Memorial.

The ceremony is part of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Crime Victim Rights Unit. The Victim Rights Unit provides information and support services to crime victims whose needs were often neglected or ignored by the criminal justice system previous to the adoption of the Michigan Crime Victim’s Rights Act in 1985.

With the passage of a constitutional amendment in 1988, Michigan crime victims now have the most complete legal rights in the nation, according to the prosecutor’s website.

More than 100 plaques are at the Memorial in Jackson.

Kati Rezmierski, chief assistant prosecuting attorney, addressed more than 100 at the ceremony.

“There are never any words to make it better,” Rezmierski said. “We can just honor and remember.”

Police officers from the City of Jackson, Jackson County, and Michigan State Police attended the ceremony.

Director of City Jackson Police Department Elmer Hitt also addressed the crowd.

He told those in attendance no one deserves to be injured or killed in the community.

“As police we are sincerely sorry for your loss,” Hitt said.