Weekly Update

Friends,

Meeting and exceeding the City's 911 answer-time goal (95% of calls answered within 20 seconds) continues to be a priority. Like most areas, public and private, we have struggled with staffing challenges throughout the pandemic. Those staffing challenges coupled with increased 911 calls caused us to not meet our goal for the past several months as you can see in the graph below.

Due to COVID-19, we were required to hire smaller class sizes to maintain social distancing and keep our public safety employees safe. In addition to an already high-stress, fast-paced new job, employees were facing challenges outside of work caused by the pandemic that contributed to a lower than expected number of trainees completing the training program. Despite the challenges of hiring in 2020, we still managed to hire 27 new employees spread across three separate classes. Unfortunately, only ten of those actually made it through training.

Fast forward to 2021, we have already hired twelve additional employees, and we have a recruit class in process that should give us one of our largest classes that is scheduled to start in August. We are doing everything we can to fast track hiring and training while continuing to serve our citizens.

All that to say, we hit bump in the road. But, we’re doing everything we can to make sure when you call 911, your call is answered quickly and the help you need gets to you when you need it most.

Guns in Cars: I know this is something that should go without saying, but if you drive with a gun in your car, please never leave it unsecured. Lock it up.

Since state law was changed allowing guns in cars without a permit, the number of guns stolen from cars has skyrocketed. And unfortunately, those guns are being used to commit crimes.

This is a not statement against lawfully owning a gun. It’s simply a request for responsible gun ownership. We need your help in the fight against violent crime, and this is one simple way you can help us do that.

Regional Economic Alliance: Yesterday afternoon, we had the third quarter Regional Economic Alliance board meeting. As a reminder, The Memphis & Shelby County Regional Economic Alliance was formed in 2018 to add resources, increase collaboration, provide accountability, and better utilize data in business recruitment and retention in the Greater Memphis area.

As you will see in the graphs below, we are on track to meet the majority of our economic goals for the year, despite a slower start due to the pandemic.

Still vaccinating: If you or someone you know has not received your vaccine yet, please do so. As medical professionals have been saying for months, it’s the best way to fight this virus. With the more transmissible Delta variant in our community, it's even more important to get vaccinated.

Our public vaccination site at the Pipkin Building will remain open through the rest of this month. Go here to sign up and get yours today.

Enjoy your weekend!

Yours,