Building Together: City of Memphis Weekly Newsletter

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(View the City of Memphis press conference here.)

I want to use this time with you this week to talk about a recent decision I had to make to protect our community. It may feel counter-intuitive at first, but I will ask you to read on and let me explain my decision-making in regard to our response to the recent findings released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding our city's police department and the DOJ request for Memphis to sign an agreement before even having an opportunity to read the findings.

Before I delve into the specifics, let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am fully committed to ensuring that our police department treats every individual with fairness and respect as no person should ever be mistreated by the police.

The DOJ report is a difficult read. Hear me when I say that our administration acknowledges and supports ongoing police improvement. As your Mayor, it is my duty to advocate for the best interests of every member of our community. After carefully reviewing the limited information provided by the DOJ, we feel strongly that entering into an Agreement in Principle or a costly Federal Consent Decree at this stage, before delving deeply into the report, is not in our community's best interest. After having time to read the report, we will continue to collaborate with all needed parties to chart a path that will encourage a continuous improvement plan for MPD. 

And while the concerns addressed in this DOJ report predate my administration, I assure you that our administration takes these findings seriously. We are committed to an open-minded review of the report and any recommendations it offers. No police department is perfect, but we must strive to come as close as possible.

But we must pursue change without putting an undue financial burden on our city. For context, consent decrees in cities like Chicago have exceeded $500 million, Seattle around $200 million, and New Orleans more than $100 million, often spanning over a decade. In many cases, even more troubling, crime rates have risen under such decrees. We cannot allow this to happen in the city I love - the city WE love.

The process that led to the DOJ's findings was alarmingly swift, taking only 17 months, significantly shorter than the typical investigative duration of 2-3 years. This raises concerns about the timing and the validity of the conclusions reached.

The DOJ has launched 12 of these investigations across America over the last four years; so far, none have resulted in a consent decree. Memphis is not alone in thinking there needs to be a better way to make change. 

During the investigation, our city demonstrated full cooperation, providing the DOJ with unprecedented access to our police officers, data, policies, and body-worn camera footage. The DOJ acknowledged this cooperation in their press conference to share the findings. And while we remain committed to transparency and collaboration, we also want to give credit to the work our MPD has already undertaken including modifying its disciplinary process; creating 125 first-line supervisor positions; and implementing annual training in de-escalation, bias-based policing, duty to intervene, and other important community-focused actions.

Encouragingly, we are already seeing progress. Our police department has already enacted over 700 policy modifications, and I’m proud to say that crime rates have been trending downwards - city-wide crime has decreased by 13.5%, with part 1 crimes—the more violent and serious crimes—down by 19%. We plan to build upon this momentum. Instead of a broad and potentially prolonged federal oversight via a consent decree—which could impose millions in costs on our residents—we believe by taking a holistic, community-focused approach we can move further and faster toward the change we need with less cost to our community.

I assure you that we take the DOJ’s findings seriously. As we move forward, we must consider smarter, more effective ways to make improvements. I believe we can achieve meaningful change by collaborating with community members and engaging with independent national experts rather than relying on a bureaucratic and highly costly federal consent decree.

Make no mistake—we are committed to fostering a police department that is not only effective but also respectful of all residents. My top priority is to protect the interests of our community.

Over the coming weeks, we will work diligently to review the report and formulate a strategic response that aligns with our community's values and aspirations. We are currently organizing a series of town halls aimed at gathering your feedback on the DOJ’s report and discussing the path we will take toward ensuring an improved Memphis Police Department.

In summary, while we acknowledge the necessity for improvement within our police department, we believe there are more effective pathways to achieving our community’s needs than a federal consent decree. By working together, we can accelerate our progress and achieve the results we all desire, ensuring justice and accountability.

Good News!

Do you have good news to share? We would love to share it! Send us a note at goodnews@memphistn.gov

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: 38105, 38106, 38107, 38109, 38112

Community Engagement:

Congratulations to Memphis Library Manager, Robin Ballard. We’re proud to share that she has been recognized as a James Patterson Bonus Recipient, a prestigious national honor awarded to only 250 people across the country. This recognition highlights Robin’s exceptional dedication to literacy, community service, and innovation in library programming. Thank you, Robin, for your commitment to making our libraries a beacon of knowledge and inspiration! 

Community Innovation Award. We’re thrilled to announce that The Commons, a Memphis-based community organization, has been awarded $100,000 in implementation funding through the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities (BASC) initiative. This project will transform a historic church into a vibrant cultural space, promoting cultural awareness and resources for Black, Indigenous, and communities of color in Memphis. This is a huge win for our city and a testament to the incredible work happening in our community to foster innovation and inclusivity. Let’s continue to uplift and celebrate these transformative efforts that make Memphis stronger! 

Social and Community Shout-outs:

St. Jude Memphis Marathon. We are excited to host all of the race participants for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon this Saturday, December 7. In preparation for the race, please read road closures, race routes, and important announcements here. 

Holiday Toy Drive. Join City Council in spreading holiday cheer! Councilwomen Dr. Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Yolanda Cooper-Sutton are hosting a Holiday Toy Drive on December 18 from 4:30pm-7pm to bring joy to children in need. See more details and share here.

Memphis Public Libraries. The holiday season is upon us and Memphis Public Libraries has so many fun events all across the city that are family-friendly. See more details and share the event calendar here. 

Weekly round-up

in partnership and progress,

Paul A. Young