Building Together: City of Memphis Weekly Newsletter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. 

Late last week, some of our team members took a quick 24-hour trip to DC and Baltimore. While there, I had the honor of joining President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House, where they signed an Executive Order to address gun violence in America. The signing of the Executive Order was timed to align with the first anniversary of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention — which was launched, in part, to identify additional ways for the executive branch to combat the devastation caused by gun violence throughout our country. 

(See the full Executive Order factsheet here)

The Executive Order directs federal agencies to tackle the threats of Glock switches/ conversion devices and 3D-printed firearms, along with other actions, to reduce gun violence and the impact of gun violence in all of our communities. The federal attention is a good indication of the growing national intolerance for gun crimes. It bodes well for communities like ours, where our work to get these devices - and the people using them - off the streets and held accountable is rising. For reference, the MPD arrests for weapons law violations are up this year by 54% over 2023. Our MPD officers are definitely doing their part to curtail and combat this emerging threat. 

The experience of being present at this historic event was humbling. I am deeply honored to have witnessed the signing alongside many of my counterparts from across the county. The collective energy surrounding this event was a powerful reminder of the importance of federal support for local issues. Too many neighborhoods in too many cities are facing similar heartache, loss, and fear due to gun-related crimes. Chief Davis has confirmed that her team sees Glock switches weekly, and as I mentioned above, they make all of the appropriate arrests. Still more needs to be done. One Glock switch in our community is one too many. 

Because Memphis is ever-improving, we have witnessed a notable decrease in overall crime numbers, with a reduction of more than 13% year to date. Our relentless efforts through Blight Zero, Strike Team, and MPD Code Zero initiatives have not been in vain. They are working. Together, we are doing so much to create peace and restore order throughout our city. 

Just this week, a resident told me that he was “blown away” by the work he had seen our team doing in the urban and suburban neighborhoods where we are actively addressing some of the most challenging blight issues in Memphis. I thanked him and told him that we weren’t done. As you journey through our city, I urge you to take notice of the changes taking place. I want you to see less evidence of crime and more evidence of love. I want you to feel more peace. 

And I want you to know that we will seek out more opportunities to partner with the federal government and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention on future initiatives and will work to secure additional federal resources for our local efforts. 

Additionally, while in DC for this event, I had the opportunity to attend sessions related to the Executive Order and to sit on a panel with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott. We discussed how each of our communities is responding to our public safety challenges. We also talked about the Black Mayor's Coalition on Crime, the national alliance I created to help forge a network of thought leadership and best practices around public safety; our Operation Code Zero and Operation Blight Zero Efforts are examples of that work. 

Following the signing, we watched a screening of The Body Politic, a documentary that follows Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, whose idealism and determination to change the course of his city resulted in a reduction in crime by 27% over three years. His approach wasn’t without challenges, but it was an inspirational reminder of what is possible. And I believe that is possible for us. I believe in Memphis, just like Scott believes in Baltimore. 

Under Mayor Scott’s leadership, the city of Baltimore also created an innovative curfew program for teens. As we all know, finding safe alternatives for teens is an issue that our community is also challenged with. The Baltimore program provides controlled, teen-friendly spaces for youth to gather on the weekends. While still honoring curfews, the program's success focuses on creating an environment catered to teens and young adults rather than an all-ages or family-oriented event. The program creators recognized that teens wanted a place to feel autonomous but responded well to the monitored park environment, proving that the kids weren’t looking for trouble. They were looking for places that allowed them to be teens. 

Our city of Memphis Parks, Police, and Group Violence Intervention teams met with their counterparts in Baltimore to talk about the strategies that have made their curfew centers successful. Our Parks team looks forward to working with GVIP and MPD to explore a similar pilot program next summer. 

I believe in the power of collaboration and innovation. I founded the Black Mayors Coalition on Crime to create a think-tank of like-minded individuals who could help provide feedback and real-world examples of programs and initiatives that have moved the needle in their cities while also sharing the results from programs like our own Code Zero and Blight Zero efforts. This week, we also proved the power of collaboration by working with city council on a unanimous vote to allow the city to take control of a vital piece of the tourism economy and drive meaningful change for our entire city. 

You have my word that I will always keep what is right for you, the residents of our community, at the heart of every decision I make. We are building a safer, stronger, more investable Memphis to create more prosperity and peace for each of you.

And as we work toward peace following yesterday’s verdict, my hope for the community is that we continue to respond in peace and that we keep Tyre's legacy at heart. 

Mourning a Community Loss. Our hearts are heavy after the loss of City of Memphis employee and Civil Rights trailblazer, Rev. Cleophus Smith, the last surviving sanitation worker who marched with Dr. King. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Read more about his life and legacy here.

Good News!

Weekly Crime Trend

The report below provides our weekly update on Part 1 Crimes. It updates daily and shows a continuous rolling 7-day total compared to the prior 7-day total. The charts on the right show the calendar week trend, comparing 2023 to 2024.

(We maintain two crime dashboards, the Weekly Crime Trend report can be found here, and the Crime Analytics dashboard can be accessed here.)

Our Strike Team worked in the following zip codes this week: 38115, 38118.

Social and Community Shout-outs:

MAS Adoption Event. Memphis Animal Services will join 390+ shelters in the United States in the BISSELL Pet Foundation's Fall National Empty the Shelters adoption event. The free adoption event will occur at Memphis Animal Services, 2350 Appling City Cove, from October 1 to 15. See more and share here. 

MPD Kickball Game. Join Memphis Police Department for their National Faith & Blue Event honoring children lost in our city. They are hosting a city-wide kickball game at Tobey Park on October 12 and today is the last day to register. See full details and register here. 

Trunk or Treat Event. With every bit of enthusiasm she's got, Wednesday Addams invites you to the 2nd Annual Trunk-or-Treat event this Saturday, October 5 from 2pm-4pm at the East Shelby Branch Public Library. See more and share here.

Memphis Hackathon. Want to make a difference in Memphis and help build creative solutions for our community? Join us for the City Hackathon at the University of Memphis! Registration Is open and we want you to be apart. See full details and register here.  

Weekly round-up

in partnership and progress,

Paul A. Young