Tag: Memphis Police Department

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Memphis to Receive Support for Fighting Violent Crime

Memphis is one of 12 cities in the country that will receive federal help with fighting violent crime.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that Memphis, along with 11 other cities will join the newly-formed National Public Safety Partnership (PSP).

Formed by the Department of Justice in response to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order challenging the agency to reduce violent crimes nationwide, the PSP will provide the means for increasing federal support for state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials and prosecutors.

The partnership, which will specifically focus on reducing gun crime, drug trafficking, and gang violence was announced today at a national summit organized by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety.

The summit brought together local, state, and federal law enforcement for discussion on how to support and replicate previous successful efforts of reducing violent crimes.

“The Department of Justice will work with American cities suffering from serious violent crime problems,” Sessions said. “There is no doubt that there are many strategies that are proven to reduce crime.”

Sessions says the Justice Department will use data-driven strategies that will be “tailored to specific local concerns.”

The partnership is also intended to help each of the selected communities increase their own ability to fight crimes.

Director of the Memphis Police Department Michael Rallings says he is pleased that Memphis was chosen to be one of the 12 cities in the partnership and looks forward to continuing the police department’s pursuit of reducing violent crimes in the city.

“We asked for assistance; now, we are seeing a promising commitment that will be beneficial to the Memphis Police Department and the city of Memphis,” said Rallings. “It is always a good day when the men and women of the Memphis Police Department receive additional resources to better serve our community.”

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Downtown Delivery Trucks Block City Streets

CREDIT: Toby Sells

A Memphis business owner once said you could get away with murder downtown as long as you turn on your flashers.

Deliveries to restaurants and office buildings often bring big trucks to a halt on major thoroughfares like Front or Union during peak drive times. The truck drivers will brake, turn on their flashers (or hazard lights), hop out of the cab, open the cargo door, and unload their haul for as long as it takes — all the while blocking a lane of traffic.

“I work downtown, run into it every day, and can’t stand it,” said Memphian Ryan Jones. “There’s got to be an alternative.”

It’s not murder, of course, but Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers are, indeed, instructed to look the other way when it comes to delivery trucks stopped downtown. MPD Major Keith Watson said Memphis is an old city, its streets aren’t as wide as others, and his department has to help facilitate commerce downtown.

“We have to keep the city and the downtown area thriving because that’s what it takes,” Watson said.

Truck drivers know the police won’t ticket them for on-street parking, Watson said. However, MPD will take action if a truck is completely blocking traffic, threatens traffic safety, has been abandoned, or does not have its hazard lights flashing.

Watson said civilian drivers just have to be careful. If a truck is blocking a lane of traffic, drivers should pull around them and “if they’re able to drive on paved streets without going off the pavement, then it’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Toby Sells

“I would advise the citizenry or those individuals who may experience this to just have a little patience and allow commerce and trade to occur,” Watson said. “If they partake in any of these businesses or companies that are recipients of these deliveries, it’s needed. We have to allow it to occur.”

Almost anyone who has driven in downtown Memphis has come across a truck blocking traffic. But Terence Patterson, president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC), said he hasn’t heard any complaints about it.

“It’s urban living, and there are certain things that have to take place,” Patterson said. “But, no, I haven’t heard any complaints about [delivery trucks] stopping traffic or there being any safety concerns about it.”

Patterson is willing to help, though, and said anyone with concerns about idled delivery trucks should contact his office.

Memphis is certainly not the only city dealing with downtown deliveries. The Federal Highway Administration said trucks delivering in downtown areas across the country cause 947,000 hours of vehicle delay annually.

Many cities have issued special guidelines for downtown delivery trucks drivers. In Columbia, Missouri, for example, smaller trucks are urged to use public alleys for loading and unloading.

But New York City and Pensacola, Florida, are taking it a step further. Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) gave the cities $200,000 for pilot programs testing an off-hours delivery program. The funds will help businesses there to re-tool their operations to make and receive deliveries at night when traffic counts are low.

DOT officials said if the program is successful, it could be launched in other cities, like Memphis.

“Moreover, it can become part of the solution to the larger congestion problem, bringing relief to people tired of spending hours stuck in traffic every day,” DOT said in a blog post.

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Coalition of Concerned Citizens Plans Legal Action After Graceland Protest

CREDIT: Bianca Phillips

Bianca Phillips

An image from last Monday’s protest outside Graceland.

The group that organized last Monday’s protest outside Graceland, which aimed to raise awareness of police violence against black citizens, is threatening to pursue legal action against the city of Memphis for what they believe to be violations of the First Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens planned the protest outside the annual Elvis Week candlelight vigil, but when they arrived, they were blocked from getting close to the vigil by concrete barriers and a heavy Memphis Police Department presence. Protesters (and some media covering the protest) were barred from entering the barricaded area, which meant some who’d parked on the other side of the barricade weren’t allowed to access their vehicles. A representative from Graceland was near the protest site, helping police determine who to let through and who to keep out.

Some at the protest said police appeared to be letting white citizens inside the barrier and keeping black citizens out.

The coalition also organized the massive protest in late July that resulted in the I-40 bridge being shut down for several hours.

The coalition released the following statement today:

“On this day, the Coalition of Concerned Citizens observed and documented repeated instances of Memphis Police Department officers willfully violating the laws they were sworn to uphold. MPD further aided and abetted the continued violations of citizens’ rights as instructed by Graceland Enterprises security officials.

Never did an official of Graceland or MPD offer a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for not allowing entrance to a public event on a public US Highway. Despite the constant inquiry by Coalition members and other concerned citizens into the grounds and criteria on which citizens, overwhelmingly people of color, were being denied access; the only responses offered were threats of arrest and force.

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens finds the conduct of The City of Memphis, Graceland Enterprises and the Memphis Police Department troubling and reprehensible. The Coalition joins State Representative G.A. Hardaway in seeking a Justice Department investigation into the pattern and practice of the Memphis Police Department. The Coalition of Concerned Citizens holds that the Constitution must be equally applied to every citizen regardless of race, creed, color, religion or sexual identity. The Coalition has overwhelming evidence that this is currently not MPD practice as was demonstrated Monday evening, August 15, 2016.

We cannot stress enough the danger the citizens of Memphis are placed in when law enforcement officials disregard the law. Any time an entity decides to violate the very laws it was created to uphold; the safety of the public is at risk and the public trust in that entity is eroded.

It is the Coalition of Concerned Citizens’ observation that the City of Memphis, Memphis Police Department and Graceland Enterprises, collectively and with collaboration chose to ignore and violate the highest law of the land and rights protected under the Civil Rights Act.

Due to the outrageous and egregious conduct of the Memphis Police Department and Graceland Enterprises, the Coalition of Concerned Citizens is pursuing any and all legal and civil means to rectify and remedy this blatant disregard and violation of the Constitution and the rights and dignity of affected citizens.”

On Monday afternoon, the city released the following statement by chief legal officer Bruce McMullen: ““We are aware of the statement released by the Coalition of Concerned Citizens and their intentions, however, the city has no comment.”

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Former Memphis Police Officer Indicted for Stalking; Shelby Jailers Let Go Over Contraband Charges

Joshua Barnes

Joshua Barnes, a former Memphis Police officer, has been indicted on charges of stalking a former girlfriend and illegally installing a tracking device on her car, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

Barnes, who resigned from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) in January, is being held at the Shelby County Jail on a $100,000 bond for previous stalking charges and for violating an order of protection.

Barnes’ former girlfriend told police in January that Barnes had stalked her on several occasions, and she feared for her safety. An automotive shop discovered a tracking device had been installed under her car, so she took the device to the MPD’s Union Extended office. Barnes was then spotted in his truck in an adjacent parking lot.

In other law enforcement crime news, two female deputy jailers have been relieved of duty without pay pending an investigation into the women attempting to smuggle contraband into the Shelby County Jail on separate occasions.

Jailer Brianna Hawthorne reportedly attempted to bring a cell phone battery into the jail, but the battery was caught by a security scanner. When she was told to empty her pockets at the security checkpoint, Hawthorne allegedly tried to conceal the battery in her hand. She’s been indicted on charges of bringing contraband into the penal facility and tampering with evidence.

Jailer Domonique Williams was stopped by security on June 1st as she attempted to enter the jail wearing a Samsung Smart Watch. Williams had allegedly been allowing inmates to send and receive phone calls or text messages with her watch, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. She’s been indicted on charges of introducing contraband into the jail.

Williams has filed a lawsuit against jail and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office regarding the indictment. Her attorney Sean Antone Hunt claims the jail had no policy against smart watches. The sheriff’s office has asserted that her watch was attached to a cell phone, but her attorney says a smart watch must be within 10 meters of an active and paired cell phone with Bluetooth to function as a cell phone. He released a statement saying Williams did not have her cell phone with her at the time she was caught wearing the watch.

According to Hunt’s statement, “AFSCME Local 1733, the labor union that represents the deputy jailers, denounces the treatment of these employees stating that they were denied due process in that they were never given a pre-disciplinary hearing. They were suspended without pay and ordered to remain in their homes for over two months. They have yet to be formally advised of the charges against them – and they have not yet been given an opportunity to defend themselves.”

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Police Director Rallings Discusses Past and Future

Michael Rallings and Jim Strickland

On his first day as the full-time Memphis Police Director, Michael Rallings listed his accomplishments over the past six months he served as interim director and outlined a few plans for the future.

Rallings gave that speech in a press conference on Monday morning at Memphis City Hall. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced on Sunday night that Rallings was chosen to lead the department after a national search for a successor to former director Toney Armstrong.

In his speech, Rallings named off a checklist of his accomplishments since he was named in the interim role back in February. Among those were 31 graduates from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) training academy, the installation of 400 in-car cameras, the test run of 25 body cameras by officers at Crump Station, an 80 percent homicide solve rate, a new GPS ankle monitoring program for domestic violence and sex offenders, and a significant reduction in backlogged sexual assault kits.

When asked what he would do to reduce the city’s high homicide rate — 133 homicides so far this year — Rallings said he couldn’t do it alone. He said it was up to family members of young people to monitor Facebook threats and social media photos of their sons posing with guns and drugs.

“Families have got to get involved in young people’s lives,” Rallings said.

He did point out, though, that the majority of this year’s homicides have been between people who knew one another and resorted to gun violence after an argument. 

Going forward, Rallings said he’d continue to encourage citizens to work together with the police department to help reduce the homicide rate. He also vowed to do everything he could to improve the benefits package for police officers, and he said the he’d work with the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission on developing a third edition of the Operation Safe Community crime-fighting initiative. Additionally, Rallings said he needed to improve his relationship with the Latino community.

“I haven’t done as much work with my Latino brothers and sisters. I feel like I’ve let them down. I will do better,” Rallings said.

The Memphis City Council will vote on Rallings’ appointment on Tuesday.

“These last six months have been tough, the toughest in my career. They have been tough for law enforcement across the country. But I’m ready to serve,” Rallings said. “I’m ready to breathe new life into some of these neighborhoods and citizens who have given up hope.”

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Coalition of Concerned Citizens Responds to Police Shootings

Coalition of Concerned Citizens

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens — a group demanding local police reform and more city contracting with minority businesses — will host a prayer for peace on Monday morning in response to the shooting deaths of three Baton Rouge police officers on Sunday morning.

The prayer service will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday at Memphis City Hall and will be led by pastor Stacy Spencer of New Direction Christian Church and Joseph B. Kyles of Rainbow/PUSH. Rabbis Micah Greenstein and Bess Wohlner of Temple Israel will also be there.

The coalition is made up of members of the AAFANTE Tribe, the Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter, the Memphis Grass Roots Organization, HOPE: Help Our Proud Environment, and the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense & Inward Journey. Many of the coalition members were involved in organizing the protest last Sunday that shut down the I-40 bridge for several hours.

On Sunday afternoon, the coalition issued the following statement in regard to the police shootings:

The Coalition of Concerned Citizens grieves with the families of the fallen law enforcement officers in Baton Rogue. There is no greater tragedy than the loss of human life, especially due to violence. The Coalition of Concerned Citizens is currently working with law enforcement and officials in Memphis and Shelby County on solutions to increase understanding, communication and improve police and citizen relations to continue on the path to progress. 

We, as a coalition, will continue to stand for the preservation of all human life, community, and above all, humanity, as our movement always has. We ask that all who stand for the same join us in our mission to create a safer, more equitable, and unified Memphis.

In response to Sunday’s shootings, Memphis Police interim director Michael Rallings has placed the Memphis Police Department on high-alert Level 3 status, which means vacation days and days off are canceled until further notice. 

On Sunday morning, 29-year-old Gavin Long shot and killed three officers in Baton Rouge. Several other officers were wounded, and one remains in critical condition.

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Strickland Releases Names of Police Director Candidates

Memphis Police interim director Michael Rallings

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland posted on Facebook the names of the six candidates for the role of Memphis Police Director. He says he will begin conducting interviews in August. The appointment is subject to approval by the Memphis City Council.

— Malik Aziz, deputy chief, Dallas Police Department
— Branville Bard, chief of police and director of public safety, Philadelphia Housing Authority; former police inspector (lieutenant colonel), education and advanced training division of the Philadelphia Police Department
— Richard Bash, deputy chief of police, Columbus (Ohio) Division of Police
— Patrick Melvin, former chief of police, Salt River (Arizona) Police Department; chief of police/assistant city manager, Maricopa; commander in Phoenix Police Department
— Michael Rallings, interim director, Memphis Police Department
— Joseph Sullivan, chief inspector/commanding officer, Philadelphia Police Department

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Gay Memphis Police Officer Sues the City for Discrimination

Davin Clemons

Memphis Police officer Davin Clemons, a TACT officer who serves as the department’s LGBTQ liaison, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department (MPD) alleging discrimination based on his sexual orientation, his disability, and his religion.

He’s being represented by attorney Maureen Holland, the local attorney who was involved in the Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court case that led to same-sex marriage being legalized across the country.

MPD’s LGBTQ liaison role was re-started in 2014 after a lull in participation, and Clemons was the first MPD officer named to the role after its re-launch. In that role, he’s responsible for helping to build trust between the LGBTQ community and the police department. But Clemons alleges that role has backfired, causing some superior officers to discriminate against him because he is gay. 

After being appointed as liaison in August 2014, Clemons claims he was harassed, reprimanded, and humiliated by other officers. 

Much of the discrimination came from an officer named as Lt. Hulsey in the lawsuit. One incident says Hulsey approached Clemons on Beale on July 4th, 2014, and “yelled and degraded Officer Clemons in front of thousands of citizens at a Fourth of July event. … Officer Clemons believes that Lt. Hulsey engaged in this behavior due to sexual stereotypes and, in particular, a belief that Officer Clemons was not sufficiently masculine, was too feminine, or due to a belief that men should only date women, not other men.”

Clemons also claims he has been discriminated against for a medical condition. Clemons has been diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, a condition that causes serious breakouts on the face after shaving, and his doctor has recommended that he not shave. He had a “shaving profile” on file with MPD, which was supposed to prevent the MPD from forcing him to shave his facial hair (a requirement of most officers). Clemons has said superior officers have harassed him and forced him to shave, despite his doctor’s orders.

Additionally, Clemons claims discrimination based on his religion. Clemons and his partner Darnell Gooch (also a Memphis police officer) founded Cathedral of Praise Church of Memphis, an LGBTQ-inclusive church. Clemons claims he’d asked off for a religious observance on August 13th, 2014, and he’d been granted the day off by a Lt. Jenkins, but the lawsuit says Hulsey refused to remove Clemons from an overtime detail. 

Reads the lawsuit: “This incident lead to a heated verbal disagreement between Officer Clemons and Lt. Hulsey whereby Lt. Hulsey was yelling and screaming and pointing his finger at Officer Clemons and saying that he (Clemons) is going to work the mandated overtime. Officer Clemons objected to working a voluntary overtime on a mandatory basis. Officer Clemons did not yell or scream at Lt. Hulsey in voicing his disagreement. Officer Clemons requested a witness or union representative and Lt. Hulsey denied it. … Officer Clemons was charged with insubordination and disobedience of an order and originally given a 20-day suspension.”

At another time, Clemons, who has a leadership role in his church, claimed Hulsey called him a “false prophet” and that Clemons’ faith “is not to be taken seriously because Officer Clemons is gay.”

“The purpose of the LGBTQ liaisons is to improve trust and relationships, but this is not possible if the appointed Memphis Police LGBTQ liaison is being discriminated against, harassed, and retaliated against due to his participation as a LGBTQ liaison and due to his sex, religion, and disability,” reads the lawsuit.

The suit claims the alleged discrimination against Clemons is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Clemons is seeking at least $300,000 in compensatory damages and losses, back pay, lost benefits, and other economic losses. He would also like the officers named in the suit to receive training to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

Holland released the following statement from Clemons: “I’m proud to be a police officer for the MPD. I do, however, want to be treated fairly on the job. I believe that all employees should be treated fairly, based on the quality of their work, not on their sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disability, race, color, ethnicity or any other legally protected characteristic. The purpose of this suit is to protect the right of city employees to fair and nondiscriminatory treatment. I am a committed police officer and want to continue my work without interference and discrimination.”

At a press conference introducing the new Memphis Animal Services director Friday afternoon, Mayor Jim Strickland said he could not comment on Clemons’ lawsuit.

Read the lawsuit here:

[pdf-1]

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Former Memphis Police Officer Indicted for Rape

Michael Smith

Michael Smith, a former Memphis Police officer, was arrested and indicted on Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman while he was on duty.

Smith resigned from the MPD last week, following a complaint from a 26-year-old woman who claimed Smith had made inappropriate sexual contact with her on April 16th as she was leaving the Purple Haze club near FedExForum downtown. Smith, who had been with the MPD since 2009, worked in the South Main precinct,

Smith is being charged with rape, official misconduct, official oppression, and sexual battery.

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Memphis Police Officer Accused of Sexual Assault, Relieved of Duty

A Memphis Police officer, whose name has not been released, has been relieved of duty and is being investigated for a possible sexual assault committed while the officer was on duty.

On Saturday, April 16th, at 11:15 a.m., Memphis Police officers were called to the 100 block of G.E. Patterson, where a 26-year-old woman reported that she was sexually assaulted by an on-duty Memphis Police officer earlier in the morning. She said she’d been leaving the Purple Haze nightclub on Lt. George W.E. Lee Avenue when she encountered the officer. 

She said “inappropriate sexual contact [was] made by the officer,” according to a statement released Monday afternoon by the Memphis Police Department. The officer has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation, but no arrest has been made and no charges have been filed.