The Clarion-Ledger

East Indian convenience store owners gathered at the Jackson City Council chambers to voice their opposition to a proposed ordinance requiring security, WLBT reported.

Business owner Surinder Singh said Indian storeowners already pay taxes, which provide the salaries of police whose job they say it is to protect them.

Singh says owners can't afford the $150 to $200 a day to hire security at the stores.

"If there's nothing done then all stores will be closed," said Singh. "Today we did not shut down any store, but the next step will be all stores will be shut down in Jackson an next step will be all Hinds County."

Kuldip Singh was recently shot during a robbery. He still has a bullet in his chest.

"They started to shoot us without doing anything, without asking us anything. 'Hey we need money, money'," said Singh. "I told them 'Hey come on put your guns down and take whatever you want', but they did not hear us or anything. They just started shooting us."

"They never treat the criminal. They just put on the hand, and you go home. You put a bond of a million dollar or two million dollar bond and nobody will commit a crime. Fifty percent of the crime will be cut down if you put a higher bond," said business owner Darshan Ball.

Council President De'Keither Stamps said they looked forward to continuing to work with the community and administration to bring better public safety to the city.

Business owners will share their concerns with the Jackson Planning Committee Thursday.