Tag: Memphis Police Department

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Panhandling Arrests Fell During Pandemic

Panhandling arrests in Memphis took a dip during the pandemic (like everything else), but while local leaders want solutions to lower panhandling rates in general, law enforcement officials said arrests have “limited effect.”

A recent Memphis City Council hearing brought Memphis panhandling to the fore. Memphis Police Department (MPD) data shows an average of 670 arrests or tickets given in 2018 and 2019 for aggressive panhandling and/or obstructing a highway or road. Those arrests sunk last year to 377. 

No state or local law prohibits panhandling. Laws exist, though, for aggressive panhandling, when the person begins shouting, following, or generally menacing someone else. 

Though there is no direct correlation to panhandling, the Memphis homeless population fell during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest counts from the nonprofit Community Alliance for the Homeless. But it may be the closest data link (especially locally) to the fall in panhandling here. Other cities, like Fort Worth, have lower panhandling arrests, too. Officials there speculated “many residents have been staying home.” Also, police there limited arrests to minimize Covid-19 exposure in the Forth Worth jail.       

Lower panhandling arrests don’t mean fewer panhandlers, though. Council member Ford Canale said, “I’m seeing panhandlers everywhere” in Cordova, East Memphis, and Hickory Hill. He said panhandlers are violating city laws on where they can stand (distance to traffic lights) and impeding traffic by walking in streets. 

“There’s going to be a headline: somebody got killed,” Canale said during a council hearing earlier this month. “Somebody wasn’t paying attention — driving while texting — and they ran over somebody.”

He said panhandling arrest rates are on track to be lower in 2021, also. He urged MPD Chief Cerelyn Davis and Deputy Chief Don Crowe if MPD “could do a little bit better” on arrests. He also urged them to, maybe, find solutions from other cities to curb the practice altogether.

”I don’t think there’s a clear consensus on how to stop panhandling,” Crowe said. “Enforcement action has limited effect. I think one of the best summaries I read was if people would stop giving money, they would stop panhandling. It’s almost a cause and effect relationship there.”

From 2017 to 2019, most panhandling arrests were made by MPD officers in the North Main Station, which covers Downtown Memphis.

“Panhandling is an issue that many cities are facing right now,” said Chief Davis. “I think Covid sort of created a climate that’s rich for panhandlers, too. 

“The issue for law enforcement is always finding balance, to get people help that really need help and, at the same time, protect our public and our citizens from individuals who are being aggressive, and sometimes intimidating, and getting in their space.”

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News The Fly-By

MEMernet: Michael Myers, Old Couch/New Landmark, and an MPD Drop-Top

A roundup of Memphis on the World Wide Web.

Halloween Hitcher

Something is underway at a yard close to the corner of Young and East Parkway. New items — like a couch and lottery signs — have been arranged there, and more stuff arrives every day it seems. A neighbor there amped up the weird over the weekend apparently dressing like Michael Myers, holding a trick-or-treat bucket, and trying to hitch a ride.

Posted to Nextdoor by Helen Perkins

Old is new

“A new Memphis landmark was spotted today,” wrote Reddit user u/Stilekid.

Posted to Reddit by u/Stilekid

Drop-Top Cop

This convertible Memphis Police Department car was spotted in Memphis sometime this weekend and posted to the Memphis Memes 901 Facebook group. It wracked up an astonishing 761 shares and comments that ranged from explanations (that it was a parade car or had been seized in civil forfeiture) to “That is so Memphis.”

Posted to Facebook by Memphis Memes 901

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Mayor’s Police Pick Would Be First Female Chief

City of Memphis/YouTube

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Monday morning he picked Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis to lead the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

Davis is now the Police Chief of Durham, North Carolina. She is that department’s first Black female chief. Prior to her appointment as chief in Durham, Davis served as the Deputy Chief of Police for the Atlanta Police Department.

Davis/Twitter

“She’s the right person to lead this department here in Memphis,” Strickland said in a YouTube video (above). “She has an outstanding career in law enforcement as an office and as a leader.

“She has a strategic vision for reducing violent crime and she has a record of building relationships with the communities she serves,” Strickland continued.

Davis’ appointment to the job will be secured with a vote by the Memphis City Council.

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City Names Seven Finalists for Police Director Position

The City of Memphis has announced seven finalists for the position of Memphis Police Department director to replace current MPD Director Mike Rallings. The city said the announcement of the new director would be made in April, after an interview process is completed. The finalists are:

Joel Fitzgerald

Chief Joel Fitzgerald has served in various ranks with the Philadelphia Police Department and was selected as Chief of Police in Missouri City, TX. He then became Chief of Police in Allentown, PA, and for four years served as Chief of Police in Fort Worth, TX. In 2020, he joined the City of Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office as Chief Deputy and is now Chief of Police in Waterloo, IA.

Sharonda Hampton

Deputy Chief Hampton has over 34 years of service with the Memphis Police Department, rising through the ranks from a Police Service Technician to the Deputy Chief of Administrative Services. She has experienced a diverse and extensive career that includes Patrol and Investigative Services.

Samuel Hines

Deputy Chief Hines has close to 30 years of service with the Memphis Police Department. He has worked in the Organized Crime Unit, Memphis Police Academy, TACT Unit, Dignitary Protection Team, and Traffic Special Operations. He currently serves as Deputy Chief of Uniform Patrol District One.

Anne Kirkpatrick

Anne Kirkpatrick has 38 years in policing and has been with eight agencies, four as a Chief of Police. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI’s National Executive Institute.

Michael Shearin

Deputy Chief Michael Shearin has over 25 years of service with the Memphis Police Department. Deputy Chief Shearin has worked in the Memphis Police Department Training Academy, Organized Crime Unit, Robbery Bureau, General Investigative Bureau. He currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Investigative Services.

Joseph P. Sullivan

Deputy Commissioner Sullivan is a temporarily retired, 38-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department. As the Chief of Training, he served as a member of the Pennsylvania Police Training and Education Commission, and in 2017, he was appointed to the rank of Deputy Commissioner.


Perry A. Tarrant

Chief Perry Tarrant has 34 years of law enforcement experience and is a retired captain with the Tucson Police Department and a past assistant chief of the Seattle Police Department. He is also past national president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

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Journalist Sues City for Body-Cam Footage of “Taser Face”

CREDIT: Marc Perrusquia/Twitter

Marc Perrusquia/Twitter

A Memphis journalist is suing the city of Memphis for access to body-camera footage from a Memphis Police Department (MPD) officer.

Newspaper veteran Marc Perrusquia teamed with the nonprofit Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) in the suit filed Monday in Shelby County Chancery Court. In the suit, Perrusquia claims the city’s refusal to release the footage violates the Tennessee Public Records Act.

“The city of Memphis’ refusal to release the bodycam footage requested by our client raises serious transparency concerns,” said Paul McAdoo, the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative attorney in Tennessee. “Public access to police bodycam footage is a crucial aspect of police accountability.”

Perrusquia, who leads the Institute of Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis, first asked for the body-cam footage in July 2020, according to the RCFP. He sought footage from three separate incidents of alleged use of excessive force by MPD officer Colin Berryhill. The officer earned the nickname “Taser Face” for multiple uses of his electroshock Taser gun, according to Perrusquia’s July 2020 story about Berryhill in The Daily Memphian.

City leaders denied Perrusquia’s request for the footage because “no responsive records exist at this time due to an administrative investigation.” According to the RCFP, this came despite the fact that the city said in a publicly released case summary that the investigation had been closed.

McAdoo, Perrusquia’s attorney, wrote to the city’s chief legal counsel, Jennifer Sink requesting the body-cam footage, the RCFP said. Sink said in a phone call that the records were exempt from disclosure because an internal MPD investigation could lead to criminal charges against Berryhill.

Perrusquia’s legal argument that there is no exemption for such adminstrative investigations and no body-camera-specific exemption apply. The suit also charges that since there’s no pending criminal action against the officer, the records aren’t exempt under state law.

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Crime Commission Pushes to End Police Residency Requirement

The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission released a statement late Monday afternoon in support of a pending state legislative bill that would eliminate the residency requirement for local law enforcement and other local first responders.

SB 29/HB 105 would retroactively abolish all local residency provisions statewide. While currently there is not a statewide local residency provision, SB 29/HB 105 would prohibit local governments from establishing local residency provisions.

The commission cited rising violent crime rates and a shortage of officers as reasoning for their support of the bill. Although the Memphis City Council has set a goal of 2,500 officers for the city of Memphis, at the end of 2020, Memphis had 2,038 commissioned officers. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was also below its goal of 750 officers, with 718 officers.

“During our discussion, it was obvious that many [Crime Commission Board of Directors] members were sensitive to the issue of state government preempting local decision-making,” said Ben Adams from the Crime Commission. “However, most board members see the enactment of the legislation as a necessary step to address the severe shortage of local law enforcement officers.”

While the number of on-duty officers has increased since the end of 2016, the overall growth of officers has been slow. 2020 also showed a regression of growth in the number of officers. The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission argues that increasing the pool of potential officer candidates would increase the number of officers in the streets. Their statement also argues that increasing the number of officers would take the strain off of the existing officers in the field.

“At the end of 2020, the MPD was down to 2,038 officers. The Memphis City Council has set a goal of 2,500 officers. Simply put, we will never reach that goal without expanding the pool of qualified applicants,” said Adams.

Citywide there is also support for hiring more officers. In a survey conducted in July of last year 78 percent of respondents were in favor of hiring more police officers with 69 percent of respondents replying that they would like to see increased local law enforcement presence in their neighborhood.

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Council Committee Approves Capitol Investigation

CREDIT: Tyler Merbler | Wikimedia | Creative Commons

Tyler Merbler | Wikimedia | Creative Commons

United States Capitol, 2021


A Memphis City Council committee passed a resolution Tuesday requesting an investigation of any public safety employees involved in the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021.

The resolution asks Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration to “develop and present a plan to the council” revealing those employees and creating a “process to ensure former city of Memphis public safety employees re-hiring status reflects participation in [the] U.S. Capitol riots.”

The council’s public safety committee gave a near-anonymous approval of the resolution with only council member Worth Morgan voting against it. The resolution is sponsored by council members Michalyn Easter-Thomas, Martavius Jones, J B Smiley, and Dr. Jeff Warren.

The resolution comes as “several sworn police officers from departments across the nation now face federal criminal charges as a result of their participation in the insurrection,” it reads. That becomes important, it says, to further “address concerns about the need for increased oversight and accountability within public-safety-based departments, especially in light of 2020’s international call for reform within the criminal justice system.”

“I think we need to amend the resolution in the first recital to say the Memphis City Council hereby requests the director of Police Services to investigate whether any city of Memphis employees, based upon evidence provided by FBI of such participation in the U.S. Capitol riot,” said council member Chase Carlisle. “We don’t need to get sued.”

Jones suggested including the Secret Service and other federal agencies to the groups providing evidence. Council members expanded the resolution to legitimate evidence from citizens who may have captured the event.

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MPD Officer Charged With Kidnapping and Murder

A Memphis Police Department officer has been arrested and charged with First Degree Murder following the kidnapping and murder of a Memphis resident. Former MPD officer Patric Ferguson made an initial court appearance by video Monday where he was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and fabricating and tampering with evidence. He has been employed by the MPD since 2018.

The saga began last week when Memphian Robert Howard, 30, was reported missing by his girlfriend, who has not been named by the Memphis Police Department. Howard had been missing for 24 hours before his girlfriend attempted to find him using an app to trace his cellphone location. Upon finding his phone but not him, she filed a missing person’s report to the MPD.

MPD investigators concluded that the victim was taken from his home by Ferguson while on duty, then forced into the back of a squad car. He then drove Howard to the area of Frayser Boulevard and Denver Street before killing him.

Joshua Rogers, 28, was also found to have helped Ferguson dispose of the body following the murder of Howard. He has been charged with Accessory After the Fact, Abuse of a Corpse, and Fabricating and Tampering with Evidence. His bond has been set at $25,000, while Ferguson has yet to have a bond set.

MPD Director Michael Rallings was disappointed at the discovery and vowed that Ferguson’s actions are not reflective of the organization as a whole.

“No one is above the law. Knowing that a Memphis Police Officer, someone who took an oath to protect and serve, made the decision to commit this horrific crime is devastating. His actions were not that of a law enforcement officer and should not reflect on his fellow officers.”

The Howard family has set up a gofundme page to help cover the funeral expenses.

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Domestic Violence Rises During Pandemic

CREDIT: Shelby County Crime Commission

Shelby County Crime Commission

The Shelby County Crime Commission announced a sharp increase in domestic violence aggravated assaults during the months of May, June, and July.

Data released by the Memphis Police department showed a 21 percent increase throughout Shelby County. May was exceptionally bad, with the month showing almost a 30 percent increase in reported domestic violence aggravated assaults.

Shelby County Crime Commission

Though not explicitly stated by the Shelby County Crime Commission, it was inferred that quarantine conditions could have led to an increase in domestic violence calls. Prior to nationwide lockdown efforts, domestic violence aggravated assaults in Shelby County had been down almost 7 percent for the year.

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Operation LeGend Hopes to Curb Violent Crime in Memphis

Thursday Afternoon United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced Operation LeGend will be expanding into the City of Memphis.

Operation LeGend is a sustained, systematic, and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant

“The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the safety of our citizens,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Today, we have extended Operation Legend to Memphis and St. Louis, two cities experiencing increases in violent crime that no resident of those cities should have to accept as part of everyday life.”

The move will lead to 40 federal investigators from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations Unit being deployed in the city, 26 of which will remain in Memphis for the foreseeable future.

The federal investigators will be working with ongoing investigations through the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, the goal of which is to combat violent gangs, gun crime, and drug trafficking organizations.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance has also pledged $200,000 to support Operation LeGend’s violent crime reduction efforts in the city of Memphis, in addition to a prior grant award of $1.4 million to Shelby County to help bolster their law enforcement infrastructure.

Memphis has experienced a significant increase in violent crimes over the year with homicides in the city up 49 percent since 2019. The Shelby County District Attorney General stated that Memphis has a “public health crisis” as well as a “public safety crisis.”

“In the midst of a public health crisis, we are dealing with a public safety crisis. This help from our federal partners will mean justice for more families devastated by all of this violence. For that I am grateful. But for lasting change, we need the community to do more. We need a coordinated community reaction to the disturbing number of murders —- to the number of children we have buried. We need everyone to do their part to combat the growing number among us who embrace violent behavior.”

Operation LeGend began following the murder of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro early on June 29th. Operation LeGend was first launched in Kansas City on July 8th and has expanded to Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, and Milwaukee.