Mayor Strickland's choice for police director

Friends,

I promised Memphians that I would find the best possible police director in the nation to meet our city’s needs. After a comprehensive process in which I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of our candidates, I’m convinced the best leader for MPD is Michael Rallings.

So today, I offered our interim director the title of director. And I’m thrilled to share with you that he accepted.

You already know that Director Rallings is tested and has what it takes for this demanding job. I’m impressed with his commitment and results both in fighting crime and leading a fair, responsible and trustworthy police department.

My appointment is the product of a national search I promised in my campaign. Our six recommended candidates interviewed Wednesday, and to ensure a broad cross-section of input on the hire, I also included panels representing law enforcement, the community, the city administration and civic leaders.

We’ll hold a news conference Monday (which we’ll stream live on Facebook), and I’ll be presenting my appointment to the City Council Tuesday. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating Michael Rallings!

Yours,