Tag: Michael Rallings

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News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1435

CHOAS 901

Remember Elvis Week 2016? Gosh, it seems like it was only last week when fans of the King assembled in front of Graceland to light a candle and stream up the hill and through the mansion’s Meditation Garden. And all the Black Lives Matters demonstrators showed up to engage in a bit of modestly disruptive protest, so police showed up in numbers sufficient to ensure there wasn’t any fan base mingling at the party. And it rained like hell. Those were the days, my friend. Or as WMC-TV put it in an alarming all-caps headline: “Elvis Week CHOAS.” As in “Get CHOAS a proofreader” maybe?

What does CHOAS even mean? Is it a run-of-the-mill typo or a new word for something worse than ordinary CHAOS because it’s chaos inside of CHAOS? Is it local TV’s Superman Dam Fool moment? Is it a startling vision of Memphis’ future? Is CHOAS inevitable? Stay tuned.

Verbatim

“We’re devastating people’s lives, and I can’t be part of that.” — Michael Rallings announcing his opposition to loosening marijuana laws during a forum on heroin use because REEFER MADNESS! It’s hard to know whose lives the new police director thinks will be destroyed by loosening current pot laws, since, according to data compiled by the ACLU, 88 percent of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests in the U.S. between 2001 and 2010 were for simple weed-only possession, and blacks were 3.73 times more likely to be arrested in spite of relative equal usage rates. Blue Crush service techs, maybe?

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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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Rallings Selected for Police Director Job

Michael Rallings

Memphis Police Interim Director Michael Rallings has been chosen to fill the permanent police director role, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced on Facebook Sunday afternoon.

Rallings had put his name in the hat for the job to fill the position vacated by former director Toney Armstrong. But Strickland conducted a national search and was also considering Malik Aziz (deputy chief of the Dallas Police Department), Patrick Melvin (former chief of the Salt River Police Department in Arizona), Joseph Sullivan (chief inspector of the Philadelphia Police Department), Branville Bard (police chief and director of public safety with the Philadelphia Housing Authority), and Richard Bash (deputy chief of police at the Columbus Police Department in Ohio).

Here’s Strickland’s statement from Facebook:

“I promised Memphians that I would find the best possible police director in the nation to meet our city’s needs. After a comprehensive process in which I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of our candidates, I’m convinced the best leader for Memphis Police Department est.1827 is Michael Rallings.
So today, I offered our interim director the title of director. And I’m thrilled to share with you that he accepted.

You already know that Director Rallings is tested and has what it takes for this demanding job. I’m impressed with his commitment and results both in fighting crime and leading a fair, responsible and trustworthy police department.

My appointment is the product of a national search I promised in my campaign. Our six recommended candidates interviewed Wednesday, and to ensure a broad cross-section of input on the hire, I also included panels representing law enforcement, the community, the city administration and civic leaders.

We’ll hold a news conference Monday (which we’ll stream live here), and I’ll be presenting my appointment to the City Council Tuesday.

I hope you’ll join me in congratulating Michael Rallings!”

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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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News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1428

Memphis as…

There are things you apologize for and things you should be proud of, even if they’re a little crude at the edges. When your anchor can’t stop stressing the criminality of peaceful protests by an over-incarcerated population engaging in civil disobedience, you might want to say you’re sorry.

When your news camera captures an image of a protester in a “Memphis as Fuck” T-shirt walking side by side with police director Michael Rallings, ending a major civil action without incident, the appropriate response isn’t “Oh, we’re sorry about that.” The appropriate response is, “Hell, yes it is!”

Naked City

It’s July in Memphis. The mercury is rising, and clothes are peeling off like banana skins, so of course it’s time for another installment of This Week in Memphis Nudity.

LaShundra Smith is charged with indecent exposure for being partially nude on a bench at Mary Malone Elizabeth Park. According to news reports, Smith told officers she was “trying to air out.”

Also, poor Marilyn Corbett, whose mental illness has resulted in nude dancing on Beale and around various Midtown locations, was arrested for taking off her clothes in Popeyes in Jackson, Tennessee.

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Meeting Panelist Not Happy with Rallings; New Protests at Graceland

Michael Rallings

One of the organizers of Sunday’s massive Black Lives Matter-style protest on the I-40 bridge and Monday night’s chaotic meeting with Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Interim Director Mike Rallings at Greater Imani Church sent the following letter to the Memphis media this morning. Keedran Franklin is not happy with how Monday’s meeting went, and he’s pointing fingers at Rallings, who last night got a standing ovation for his show of unity during the previous night’s protest.

On Tuesday afternoon, Franklin was one of about 30 protesters at another Black Lives Matter protest outside Graceland. Several people, including Franklin, were arrested for blocking traffic on Elvis Presley.

Dir. Mike Rallings

Memphis Police Department

This letter regards our agreement of July 10, 2016, which was the impetus for the termination of the citizens’ occupation of the I-40 bridge at Memphis. You personally made the agreement with this group of citizens.

You failed to honor the agreement. While we made the concession of not meeting that night at 9:30 p.m. at the FedEx Forum, as agreed, you made the unilateral decision on the venue and the participants. You allowed those who had nothing to do with the agreement or the event that precipitated the agreement to control the meeting. You decided or allowed the decision to be made of who would speak.

While you honored your staff for keeping the peace, you failed to honor the citizens who also kept the peace. You allowed politicians, who have proven to be ineffective and/or unwilling to make positive changes in the city, to be seated in positions above the citizens with whom you agreed to meet, giving the appearance of honoring those who have not demonstrated true concern for the citizens.

Finally, the items you had agreed to discuss with us were not discussed. You made a mockery of our agreement. You broke the trust. This says to us that you are not a man of your word. While others sing your praises, we have data that you have proven to be less than praise worthy. We are disappointed.

Sincerely,

The Concerned Citizens

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Mayor, Police Director Hear Community Concerns Following Night of Protest

A meeting organized to address concerns with policing of African-American communities and city programming for inner-city youth descended into chaos on Monday afternoon, as attendees of the meeting vied for a chance to have their frustrations heard.

Mayor Jim Strickland and interim Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings were on a panel at the meeting at Greater Imani Church, which was hastily organized on Sunday night by the same people who organized the massive, peaceful Black Lives Matter-style demonstration that blocked traffic on the I-40 bridge for hours. That protest and Monday night’s meeting were organized by local minister (and former intern to Congressman Steve Cohen) Devante Hill. The local chapter of Black Lives Matter did not organize Sunday’s protest, but many members were there in support.

The chaotic atmosphere of the meeting seemed largely due to how quickly it was organized. One person on the panel reminded the audience that they only had 12 hours to organize the two-hour meeting. The organizers asked audience members to write questions on comment cards, but many who didn’t fill out cards stood in line for the microphone. When people were cut off for going over time or not allowed to speak because someone else was waiting, the crowd booed and shouted.

“I was there at the protest yesterday, and what we are witnessing now is true frustration,” said Rep. Antonio Parkinson. “These people deserve to be heard.”

Strickland eventually agreed to respond online to every comment card he received within 30 days. Hill suggested that the mayor should hire two inner-city youth as interns to help him post all the responses.

The crowd did seem to agree on at least one thing — they want Strickland to hire Rallings as the permanent police chief. Rallings has applied for the job, and a number of attendees said they wanted Rallings to be hired on the spot Monday night. 

“The police director position will not be made tonight. But I’ve been impressed with Rallings for years, and I think we saw last night why I asked him to apply,” Strickland said, to which the crowd booed and demanded immediate action.

Strickland said he couldn’t bypass the hiring process, and he had to give equal consideration to all the candidates for the position. Later in the meeting, Rallings said “If Memphians are willing to work with me, I will consider taking the job. We asked for 30 days of no killing, and if we’re committed to making the city better, let’s follow through.”

At the beginning of the meeting, the crowd gave Rallings a standing ovation for his response to Sunday night’s protest, during which he walked with protesters arm in arm.

Hill outlined four demands for the mayor and police director. The first was to hire Rallings. The second demand was to invest more city Public Works contract funds into minority-owned businesses, to which Strickland said that his office had already made progress.

“We’ve increased contracts by 17 percent for minority- and women-owned firms since January,” Strickland said.

Other demands included more emphasis on community policing and cultural sensitivity training for officers and committing more funding for youth programs and crime prevention programs.

Although many in attendance didn’t get a chance to voice their questions, the organizers said they’ll have another chance at a second community meeting with the mayor and police director next Thursday, July 21st at Greater Community Temple Church of God in Christ (5151 Winchester).

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Memphis Mayor, Police Director React to Dallas Shootings, Racist Snapchat

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings held a joint press conference on Friday morning to express sympathy for those affected by Thursday night’s ambush on members of the Dallas Police Department and those affected by this week’s police shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and St. Paul, Minnesota. They also addressed a racist image that was allegedly sent over Snapchat by a Memphis Police officer.

On Dallas shootings and police shootings in Baton Rouge and Minnesota:

Jim Strickland
“I continue to be shocked and saddened by the loss of life in our country during this entire week. I call on us as Americans to reject this violence, all of it. Let us come together in Memphis and beyond and have a peaceful and thoughtful dialogue on the issues that confront us, a dialogue where ideas trump anger and compassion is paramount.” 

Michael Rallings
“I’m angry, frustrated, and disappointed that we continue to go down this path. We cannot survive if we do not work together. We are not your enemy. We are your ally. The Memphis Police Department has more than 2,000 officers out there serving and protecting the citizens of this great city. The horrific incidents that have occurred over the past few days are unacceptable. The shootings in Baton Rouge, Minnesota, and Dallas, Texas, cannot be our new norm. We — citizens, law enforcement personnel, and the citizens of Memphis, Tennessee — are better than that. We must grow strong and support each other. We cannot stand idle anymore. Now more than ever, we need to open our eyes and accept that we as a community must work together.

We must remain patient and let the justice system do its job. At the end of the investigation, we’ll have a clear picture of what has occurred in these incidents. We must not let what has happened skew our way of thinking. We must stay focused in Memphis. We must continue to work together to build relationships. 

I ask that the citizens of Memphis not let the actions of officers in other cities reflect on their opinion of the hard-working men and women who serve as officers in their community. I ask that our officers continue to do their jobs and not let the actions of a few individuals hinder our goals of being servants and protecting our city.”

On any planned or future local protests:

Michael Rallings
“I realize that many of our citizens may be planning to participate in protests, rallies, or candlelight vigils. I ask that, in light of last night’s events in Dallas, you proceed with caution. I’m not going to ask you to not exercise your rights. However, I do expect that these events remain peaceful and all laws are obeyed.”

On the potential for a copycat incident:

Michael Rallings
“We will continue to work with local and national law enforcement partners to make sure Shelby County citizens stay safe. We don’t want these type of incidents to happen. We want to make sure our community stays calm and stays safe. I’m always concerned about violence or a copycat incident, so that’s why we try to take a proactive stance. We’re reaching out to our community activists, our clergy leaders to relay the message that we want peace in Memphis.”

On Snapchat:
 
An image of a white hand pointing a gun at an emoji of an African American man was allegedly sent over Snapchat by a Memphis Police officer. Rallings said fellow officers reported the Snapchat to him, and two officers have been relieved of duty pending an investigation.

“The image is disgusting and will not be tolerated. We will conduct a thorough investigation and the individual responsible will be held accountable,” Rallings said.

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Strickland Lays Out Crime Plan in Response to Weekend Shooting Spree

Michael Rallings and Jim Strickland

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings discussed a number of new law enforcement partnerships that will be put in place following a downtown shooting spree last Saturday that left one Memphis Police officer dead and three other victims wounded.

Strickland told those gathered at City Hall for a press conference about his crime plan that Memphis has “a homicide issue,” but he pointed out that cities across the country have seen homicides spike in 2016.

“It’s not just a downtown issue or a Frayser issue or a Hickory Hill or Cordova issue. It’s not just a Memphis issue. It’s an American issue. City after city is dealing with a rise in homicides,” Strickland said.

As for his crime plan, Strickland said the city would be partnering with Tennessee Highway Patrol to focus on a data-driven hotspot model of traffic enforcement in an attempt to catch illegal guns and drugs moving through the city.

Additionally, he said the city is working with the Beale Street Management Authority and the Downtown Memphis Commission on a plan to boost security on Beale Street, and those plans will be shared with the public later this week. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will also assist the Memphis Police with enforcement and crowd control at peak times in the entertainment district.

Beginning July 5th, Strickland said domestic violence offenders accused of aggravated assault and attempted murder will be required to wear GPS-monitored ankle bracelets.

Strickland also said he spoke with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Monday about a successful New Orleans program that is credited with driving down homicide numbers there. He said some of those program leaders would be coming to Memphis to share more information.

Rallings said that solving the city’s homicide problem — there have been 96 homicides so far in 2016 compared 161 in all of 2015 — would require community effort. He said people need to report to police any suspicious activity before it leads to a homicide.

“I see Facebook posts where young men have five or six guns. Those [young men] belong to somebody. They have a mother and friends,” said Rallings. “We aren’t going to solve this overnight because we’ve got to work together.”

The press conference came in response to a Saturday night shooting spree for which 21-year-old Justin Welch has been charged with evading arrest, attempted first degree murder (three counts), murder in the first degree, theft of property over $10,000, vehicular homicide, and reckless driving.

Welch was apprehended by police after a spree that involved multiple shootings at various downtown locations and ended with Memphis Police officer Verdell Smith being run over and killed by the car Welch was allegedly driving. The violence began around 9:44 p.m. on Saturday when two men — 39-year-old Joshua Walton and 57-year-old Abdul Sakan — were shot while dining at a picnic table outside Westy’s Restaurant and Bar in the Pinch District. Welch allegedly walked up to the men and fired. Both men remain in critical condition at Regional One Health.

Welch then apparently ran toward Bass Pro Shops and allegedly fired at Bass Pro Shops employee 21-year-old Christopher Dickens, who was in the parking lot. Dickens was transported to Regional One, treated, and released. By the time Welch shot Dickens, he was believed to be driving a stolen 2012 Chevrolet Camero. Rallings said at the press conference today that they do not know yet if someone else was in that car. 

Welch then led police on a chase that ended up at B.B. King and Beale, and that’s where the car struck 46-year-old Memphis Police officer Verdell Smith. Smith and other officers had been trying to clear pedestrian traffic on Beale when he was fatally hit. From there, the car hit a tree, and Welch tried to flee, but police managed to take him into custody. He is in jail at 201 Poplar on a $2 million bond.

Rallings said at the press conference that police do not yet know if Welch suffered from any mental health issues, but he said Welch does have several charges for gun incidents in Chicago. Rallings said citizens should call 528-CASH if they know more about the shooting.

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Memphis 2016 Homicides By the Numbers

On March 28th, 22-year-old Reginald Burke was shot while driving near the I-240 North/I-40 East flyover, the apparent victim of a road rage incident between himself and Tarrance Dixon and Robert Chaney, both 21. Dixon and Chaney were charged with second-degree murder.

Burke was able to flag down another driver for help and was transported to the Regional One Health, where he eventually succumbed to his injury, making him the city’s 59th homicide victim.

Burke’s murder is one of 79 homicides in the city so far this year, a number that’s nearly double from 2015’s 47 homicides to date. According to statistics released in April by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, the murder rate was up 69 percent over 2015 and 43 percent over 2006 (the year the commission launched their Operation Safe Community crime-fighting plan).

Reginald Burke

Those high homicide numbers appear to be skewing the overall violent crime data, pushing citywide major violent crime up by 16 percent from January to March 2016 versus the same period in 2015. And homicides haven’t seemed to slow in April or May either.

“It is almost impossible to predict when a homicide will occur. There is no statistical data that will alert us when someone has made the decision to commit murder,” said MPD Interim Director Michael Rallings.

Of the 79 homicides so far, 55 of the murders have been solved by the MPD, 42 arrests have been made, and three warrants have been issued for suspects who remain at large. Four of the 79 homicides have been ruled as justified by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. In 34 of the 79 homicides, the victim and suspect knew one another. Only 11 of the 79 homicides are believed to be gang-related.

“By saying gang-related, I mean the suspect, victim, or both are known gang members, and the homicide occurred due to some type of gang activity,” Rallings said.

Rallings said 65 of the 79 murders to date involved firearms.

Memphis Gun Down, a program that launched in 2012 under former Mayor A C Wharton’s Innovate Memphis (formerly the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team), has made it a goal to reduce gun violence in the city. The program’s 901 Bloc Squad sends reformed gang members into high-crime areas in Frayser, Orange Mound, South Memphis, and the Mt. Moriah corridor to connect with those who are caught up in the gang lifestyle.

“They’re trying to show diplomacy and influence these young people who are gang-involved to put their guns down and resolve conflict in other ways,” said Memphis Gun Down Director Bishop Mays.

Memphis Gun Down also has a hospital intervention program at Regional One Health, through which they make contact with shooting victims to try and prevent any retaliatory crimes. Additionally, the program offers youth an outlet during the summer through its “twilight basketball” games in the above-mentioned target communities.

“We need to align our resources throughout the city. We can’t put everything on the backs of the police officers,” Mays said. “We’re in a state now where we must pay attention or we will lose a lot of youthful assets in our community. We need to not judge and be willing to reach out to those who will accept help.”

Rallings echoed Mays’ statement, saying that the police can’t curb violence without help from the community. At a press conference last week, Rallings urged citizens to alert police any time they see an altercation occurring or someone suspicious in their neighborhoods.

“It takes everybody working together to make this a safe community,” Rallings said. “People are waiting on the police to solve all these problems, but the police are just one aspect. The clergy, everyone in the educational system, and individuals in the community all play a part.”