Mayor offers to pay criminals to get out of town

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - A mayor in Mississippi has come up with an interesting way to get drug dealers and gang member to leave his town. He's offering to pay them $10,000 to get out.

Clarksdale mayor Chuck Espy says he's even willing to come out of his own pockets if it will help reduce crime in his city. He hopes the money will persuade those who commit crimes to move away and start new lives.

Mayor Espy says the city's crackdown on crime is working. Clarksdale's police chief says crime is down this year. So far, there has been one homicide, compared to 12 last year.