Tag: MPD

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Memphis Police Department Warns: “Click It or Ticket”

CREDIT: Alexandria Gilliott

Alexandria Gilliott

The Memphis Police Department(MPD) will be partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO), to crack down on seatbelt offenses going into the Thanksgiving holiday. The move is a part of a nationwide initiative from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) nationwide mobilization of law enforcement agencies.

Called the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, MPD will be out in high numbers ensuring that drivers and passengers are buckled in. In the state of Tennessee, the driver and front-seat passengers are required by law to wear seatbelts. Children under 18 are required to wear seatbelts regardless of their position in the car. Tennessee law does not require adult back seat passengers to buckle up.

“During the ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the seat belt safety message gets out to all drivers and passengers,” said Colonel Keith Watson “By far, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and devastating injuries that could’ve been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. That’s why buckling up is more than just a good idea — it’s the law.”

The “Click It or Ticket” campaign will run from November 16th to the 29th.

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U.S. Atty. Dunavant Announces $2 Million to Combat Violent Crime

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant has announced that more than $2 million in Department of Justice grants are headed to the Western District of Tennessee to help prevent violent crime. The grants come from a $458 million support pledge from Attorney General William Barr to help in supporting local, state, and tribal law in enforcement efforts to combat violent crime.

“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet  this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal  law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all  Americans.”

The funding is a part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to combat violent crime and improve public safety nationwide. Upon taking office, the President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row.

To date, funding from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has gone to Operation Relentless Pursuit, Project Guardian, and Operation LeGend.

“We are thankful to Attorney General Barr for providing these additional OJP grant resources to combat violent gun crime in Memphis, and we will continue to coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to use these  resources to effectively target the real crime drivers in Memphis and Shelby County: gangs, guns, and drugs.”

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Murders and Aggravated Assaults Rise as Burglaries Fall

CREDIT: Memphis Police Department/Facebook

Memphis Police Department/Facebook

The University of Memphis Public Safety Institute (PSI) and the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission released preliminary crime figures from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).  The figures cover crimes committed between January and September and reflect significant changes between the months of April to September.

In the first quarter of 2020 major violent crime had been trending downward with a drop of 5.2 percent when compared to the first quarter of 2019. A chief cause of the fall was a decline in reported robberies and aggravated assaults. Despite the initial fall major violent crime rose by 17.6 percent by the end of the third quarter of 2020.

The increase in major violent crime is directly tied to the significant increase in murders throughout Memphis. Murders were up 62.7 percent in the city of Memphis and 55.1 percent countywide. Aggravated assaults were up 27.2 percent in the city of Memphis and 26.6 percent throughout the county. In both instances, the victims were most likely to know each other.

The report also found that during the COVID-19 months of April to September, the number of reported robberies fell, continuing a three-year streak of downward decline. September marked a 14.7 percent drop in random robberies in the city and a 15.5 percent drop throughout Shelby County. Since 2016 reported robberies have plummeted nearly 35 percent citywide.

Property crime was also heavily affected during the COVID-19 months of April to September. Throughout Memphis, property crime fell 12.2 percent and in the county was down 11.7 percent. Notably, the burglary rate was down 27.5 percent in the city of Memphis and 26.3 percent countrywide. The joint PSI and Shelby County Crime Commission report acknowledged that the lowered property crime numbers are possibly due to the number of people at home during the day due to the COVID-19 pandemic acting as a potential deterrent to would-be burglars.

Since 2016 the number of burglaries in and around Memphis have continued to fall. In 2016 there were 6,832 burglaries during the first three quarters of the year. Today the number stands at 4,055, which represents a 40.5 percent drop in reported burglaries.

Bill Gibbons, the president of the Crime Commission and executive director of the PSI stated that while the rise in murders and aggravated assaults mirror a nationwide increase in violent crime.

“The increases in murders and aggravated assaults are occurring in cities across the country during the pandemic. We are not alone. Many of these crimes involve perpetrators and victims who know each other, which probably reflects the increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, we can be encouraged by continuing and consistent declines in robberies and burglaries. While still a problem, the chances of being a random victim of a robbery or burglary are down considerably.”

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Public Safety Institute Finds Rise in Gun Crime and Need for More Support in Shelby County Mental Health Court

Earlier in the week, the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute (PSI) released information regarding increases in reported gun crimes and their evaluation of the Shelby County Mental Health Court (MHC).

Based on data released from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the number of reported gun crimes have increased in Memphis, specifically between the months of April and June.

In their findings, the MPD reported that during the first quarter of the year, January to March, reported violent incidents involving guns were down slightly compared to the first quarter of 2019. Despite this, reported violent incidents involving guns were up 11.2 percent for the first half of the year, January to June. During this period, almost 64 percent of all reported violent crime incidents involved guns.

Though the TBI uses different metrics to identify reported incidents involving guns — what could be considered as one incident by the MPD can be considered multiple incidents under TBI definition — their figures showed a similar increase during the April to June period. The TBI reported that by the end of the first half of the year reported offenses involving guns had increased by almost 23 percent.

The PSI partnered with the Shelby County Mental Health Court to evaluate the effectiveness of the court in preventing rearrests and reincarcerations, ensuring that lengths of incarceration were similar to those not accepted for participation in the MHC, and if time in the MHC affected lengths of hospitalizations.

Between 2016 and 2019, 247 individuals were referred to the MHC a total of 368 times, with 170 (61 percent) being invited to participate, and 156 accepted. The average risk assessment score — the “score” which determines whether someone is considered too dangerous to release — for those invited to participate in the court was high.

The MHC employs a mental health treatment plan that is designed to help those accepted into the court received reduced or dismissed sentences. Despite only 48 (30.8 percent) of the 156 graduating from the MHC’s treatment program, when surveyed the MHC staff and presiding judge, indicated that they had positive feelings about the MHC teamwork-oriented approach.

The PSI’s full report and findings can be found here.

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Countywide Poll Finds MPD Has Room to Improve

A countywide poll conducted last month found that respect for law enforcement in Memphis was at an all-time high, but confidence in law enforcement and their ability to effectively police their communities was lacking among African Americans.

The poll was conducted as part of the Safe Community Plan. Launched in 2007, the Safe Community Plan is a community-based crime reduction initiative spearheaded by the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission.

The Safe Community Plan hopes to strengthen community engagement in crime prevention efforts, empower the Memphis Police Department’s ability to reduce violent street crime, and improve intervention programs for ex-offenders. One of its key jobs is to foster a positive relationship with the community.

The poll was comprised of 450 registered voters, 294 of which were registered in Memphis. Forty-eight percent of the respondents identified as white, 46 percent as African American, and 5 percent as other. One percent refused the poll countywide.

Bill Gibbons

Ninety-five percent of those polled stated that they respected local law enforcement, 67 percent strongly agreeing and 28 percent somewhat agreeing. Seventy-eight percent stated that they support the hiring of more police officers. 

Race and ethnicity became a factor in answers when it came to the quality of policing experienced by Memphians.

Fifty-six percent of African Americans gave a positive rating for neighborhood policing efforts. Among white respondents, 85 percent gave positive ratings for neighborhood policing efforts.

Fifty percent of African Americans felt that local law enforcement is doing an excellent or good job enforcing the law in their communities. Among white respondents, confidence in local law enforcement was at 80 percent.

Trust in local law enforcement was also a problem, with only 45 percent of African Americans responding they felt that local police are doing an excellent or good job of being honest and trustworthy. Worse, only 37 percent of African Americans felt that local police are competent at solving crimes that occur across Shelby County.

President of the Crime Commission Bill Gibbons commented on the results, stating the need to improve.

“Respect for local law enforcement and support for more police officers is overwhelming across the board among various subgroups polled. At the same time, there is a feeling — especially among African American respondents — that there is room for improvement, ranging from reducing violent crime to reducing unnecessary use of force.”

A full breakdown of the report can be found at memphiscrime.org.

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City Proposes Modifications, Clarification to Consent Decree on Police Surveillance

CREDIT: Brandon Dill

Brandon Dill

Protesters and police officers face off during the 2016 Hernando de Soto bridge protest

The city has submitted proposed modifications to the 1978 Kendrick consent decree on police surveillance and the court is asking for public comment on the changes.

U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla ruled in October 2018 that the Memphis Police Department (MPD) violated several areas of the decree, including intercepting electronic communications, using a fake Facebook profile of “Bob Smith” to learn of activists’ activities, and failing to properly inform officers of the parameters of the 1978 ruling.

McCalla’s ruling also mandated the creation of a court-appointed monitoring team to track MPD’s progress and adherence to the decree. Since then the monitoring team headed by Ed Stanton III has been working with the city and police department to create new policies and procedures related to the decree.

Last week, the city filed a notice to the court which included proposed modifications to the decree. The court is giving the public until May 4th to submit comments on the city’s proposals.

The filing only seeks to change one section of the decree. The modification would allow the MPD director to designate officers to approve investigations that might interfere with the exercise of First Amendment rights, as long as the designees receive regular training on the consent decree and the director periodically reviews the designees’ work.

The current language of the decree only allows for the MPD director to authorize such investigations.

The meat of the filing is in the 17 addendum items or “clarifications” that the city looks to add the consent decree. The city notes that “the parties generally have a common understanding on certain areas of permissible conduct under the consent decree.” Therefore, these stipulations do not require an actual modification of the decree, the filing said.

A few examples from the addendum items include:

• MPD is allowed to gather intelligence on upcoming events via social media, but should delete the intelligence if there is no “criminal law reason” to keep it.

• MPD may use undercover accounts to solve crimes, but cannot employ accounts like the “Bob Smith” account, which was largely used to gather information about protests and its participants. MPD will implement tighter regulation and control of undercover accounts.


• With authorization from the MPD director, officers can conduct long-running investigations that could intersect with First Amendment activity, including those that require an online undercover presence.

• MPD may receive and share information with other law enforcement agencies as long as MPD does not use another agency to what it is not allowed to do under the consent decree

• Gang activity is not protected by the First Amendment or consent decree.

• The structure of the Multi-Agency Gang unit does not violate the consent decree.

See full filing below.

[pdf-1]

In September of last year, the city moved to “significantly modify” the 1978 Kendrick consent decree, filing a sealed motion with the court. The city argued that the decree “unduly burdens legitimate investigative activities and creates restrictions that are unnecessary for the protection of First Amendment rights,” according to court documents that were unsealed in November.

The city said the consent decree prohibits MPD from “using other agencies or persons as ‘surrogates’ to do indirectly what it could not do directly,” preventing coordination between law enforcement agencies.

Specifically, the city said the consent decree has a “detrimental effect” on the city’s participation in the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Tennessee Fusion Center, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, and CrimeStoppers. It also prevents sharing and receiving intelligence with federal agencies and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, the city said.

McCalla denied the city’s motion, writing that modifying the decree in that way would “eviscerate the core goals of the Kendrick consent decree.”

Continuing, McCalla said any modification to the decree would need to be “carefully crafted after a thorough review of evidence and a finding of sufficiently changed circumstances compel a modification.”


A trial on the proposed modifications is set for June 17th. Then, the court will review all of the information it’s received and make a decision on if the consent decree should be modified and if so, what changes should be made.

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Surviving Victim, Investigators Speak on 2011 Homicide Cold Cases

Last week marked nine years since two women were found dead days apart in a South Memphis cemetery and a third barely escaped with her life. The killer is still on the loose.

On February 20, 2011, the body of 28-year-old Jessica Lewis was discovered by someone visiting a grave at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, at the corner of Elvis Presley Boulevard and Elliston Road. Four days later, the body of 44-year-old Rhonda Wells was found by a groundskeeper. Both women had prior arrests for prostitution. Both had been shot.

Jessica Lewis

On February 26th, the killer targeted another sex worker in the area, Katrina (last name withheld for anonymity), then 26 years old. Today, Katrina remembers the night she almost lost her life: The man pulled his car up to her, rolled down the window, and said something like, “You think you could handle this … ?” She says she declined his advances, and as she turned away, he fired his gun at her.

“It felt like half my face was gone,” Katrina says. “My ears were ringing. I just took off running.” As she ran, the man continued shooting. She zig-zagged to avoid the bullets, blood pouring from her face as she fled, and ran about four blocks before passerby saw her in distress. “I spit out a piece of the roof of my mouth,” she says. “There was so much blood.” The bullet entered behind her right ear and exited below her left eye.

Katrina was able to give police a description of the suspect, who she believed to be in his early-to-mid-20s, with braided hair, driving a dark Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300.

Investigators believe the three cases are connected. They retrieved shell casings linking two of the victims, as well as DNA samples from each crime scene. The DNA and ballistic information was entered into the system, but have not yet hit for a potential match.

A composite sketch of the suspect in the 2011 homicide cold cases

“Cases like this, where there are no eyewitnesses that we know of, they’re going to rise or fall on the DNA, and we’re hoping a match shows up in CODIS,” says Memphis Police Department (MPD) cold case investigator W.D. Merritt. “But we’re working on these cases. We have reinterviewed some of the people who were named back when this occurred. We’ve gone through photos of people who were arrested for rape or suspects in sex crimes in that area for that one-year period. We’ve looked at all the [firearms] and shell casings that were recovered during that time, and looked back at people who were arrested with guns.”

About a month ago, investigators submitted “something unusual” that was found at the murder scenes to the FBI’s ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program). “They put that info in and distribute a report to police agencies nationwide to see if there have been other cases like that,” Merritt says, noting that this information cannot be disclosed. “That would be something that only someone who was there would know.”

While investigators continue to work the cases, Lewis’ mother, Susan Miller, still mourns. “I pretty much stopped living [when Jessica was killed],” Miller says. “She was my only child, and I still cry every day. Jessica left behind two sons. My heart is broken, as are theirs. I pray to God that the killer is found and brought to justice.”

“Jessica was my friend,” Katrina says. “If I could go back and trade places with her, I would. This needs to be solved — for the families and the people who loved Jessica and Rhonda. I’m blessed to still be here.”

Anyone with information on these cases is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH or the MPD Cold Case voicemail line at 901-636-2653. Tips can be given anonymously.

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Hearing to Modify Consent Decree on Police Surveillance Set for June


The city will get to make its case for modifying the 1978 consent decree prohibiting 

police surveillance in June.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla denied the city’s motion to immediately “significantly modify” the 1978 Kendrick Consent Decree. The city argued that the decree prohibits the Memphis Police Department (MPD) from “using other agencies or persons as ‘surrogates’ to do indirectly what it could not do directly,” preventing coordination between law enforcement agencies.

But McCalla denied the request, saying that because all parties have not agreed to the modification of the consent decree, there would have to be an evidentiary hearing before the court could make a ruling.

Thursday McCalla said an evidentiary trial hearing on that matter is set preliminary for June 17th. Then, the court will review all of the information it’s received and make a decision on if the consent decree should be modified and if so, what changes should be made.

The team appointed to ensure and monitor MPD’s compliance to the consent decree gave its third progress update to the court Thursday.

At Thursday’s hearing, Rachel Levinson-Waldman, the monitoring team’s social media and public policy expert, discussed the social media policies for federal agencies. Levinson-Waldman said the FBI and IRS are the only two agencies that use social media for investigative purposes and have a publicly available policy.

The FBI guidelines allows for collecting First-Amendment-protected information only if its related to an authorized investigation. The collection will not interfere with the individual’s Constitutionally protected rights, and if the method of investigation is the “least intrusive alternative.”

Levinson-Waldman said that these guidelines mirror language in the 1978 Consent Decree.

Generally, the FBI guidelines allow for more intrusive investigative methods as the level of the investigated increases.

One key piece of the FBI guideline Levinson-Waldman noted is that during an inquiry, unless related to federal crimes or national security, the agency is allowed to search and review public social media accounts, but is prohibited from using fictitious personas or engage in undercover activity.

MPD’s use of the undercover Facebook account of Bob Smith was one of the violations noted in McCalla’s ruling last fall. The account friended more than 200 activists.

One of the takeaways from Thursday’s hearing for local activist Hunter Demster is that there aren’t many clear, outlined policies nationally of local and federal law enforcement agency’s social media use.

“From the get-go, a lot of us have said that is going to be one of the most important elements that comes out of this entire process,” Demster said. I think we have an opportunity to set the standard for the rest of the country. I think it’s important to look at what other federal and local departments have done, but I think we need to pave a new path forward. At the center needs to be people and their civil rights, not necessarily public safety.”

The monitoring team and the city were given until Tuesday, November 26th to submit the most recent draft of the new MPD social media policies and training procedures, as well as an audit and compliance plan to the court.

The monitor team is looking to hold focus groups early next year. Dr. Sheila Peters, an associate professor of physiology at Fisk University will lead those groups. McCalla said this is an important piece of the process as “everyone is entitled to be heard.”

Attorneys for city questioned if the discussions from the focus group will be used for evidentiary purposes. McCalla said the discussions won’t be evidence but “important input.” The groups will create space for the public to bring new concerns to the table and gather public sentiment, he said.

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Changing Police, Fire Residency Rules Raises Concern Among City Council Members

CREDIT: Facebook/MPD

Facebook/MPD

A few members of the Memphis City Council voiced reservations Tuesday about lifting the residency requirements for the city’s police and fire personnel.

The ordinance up for discussion would allow voters to choose whether or not Memphis Police Department (MPD) and Memphis Fire Department (MFD) personnel should have to reside in the city or county, or if they should be allowed to live up to two hours away. If approved by the council, voters will make the ultimate decision on the ballot next fall.

Chief operating officer for the city, Doug McGowen, said this is an effort to do “everything in our power to lower the barrier to those who want to serve the citizens of Memphis.”

Currently, 12 percent of MPD officers live outside the city and county, MPD director Michael Rallings said. Forty-two percent live in the city.

[pullquote-1]

Rallings said that removing the residency requirements would aid the department with recruitment and help it reach its goal of having 2,300 commissioned officers. To date, there are 2,062 officers and another 85 in the training academy.

“As we continue to try and hire more officers and firefighters, I would hope we would remove any barrier to that,” Rallings said. “I just ask that you consider placing the issue back on the ballot and let the voters decide.”

Councilman Martavious Jones questioned whether lifting the residency requirements would assist recruiting efforts, as he said police hiring is a problem across the country — not one that is unique to Memphis: “Opening this up does not alleviate are recruitment and hiring problems.”

“Looking at the big picture,” Jones also said that allowing officers to live outside of the city could further exacerbate Memphis’ poverty rate. “Why should we let these high-paying, middle-class jobs leave our city?” he said. “We would open up the floodgates. We would not be doing ourselves any favors by doing anything that drives high-paying jobs out of here.”

Finally, Jones questioned whether it makes sense for first responders to live up to two hours outside of the city, especially in the case of a major emergency.

“First responders living two hours out?” Jones said. “What are they responding to? They can’t respond. I don’t see how this makes the recruiting effort easier or the city safer.”

[pullquote-2]

Councilwoman Cheyenne Johnson also expressed reservations about the ordinance.


“Part of being a part of Memphis administration is believing in Memphis,” Johnson said. “And if you believe in Memphis, you can find a home in Memphis. If citizens can’t believe officers are living next door or in community, it hurts the image the police and fire departments are trying to promote throughout city.”

Councilwoman Gerre Currie, one of the sponsors of the ordinance, disagreed saying that “whether they are two hours out or not I’m not going to second-guess personnel on their efforts.”

The council will return to this discussion in three weeks. MPD officials are slated to give a presentation on the department’s recruiting efforts to date then.

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Strickland: MPD on Track to Reach Target Number of Officers

CREDIT: Facebook/MPD

Facebook/MPD

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) is on track to have 2,100 officers by the end of the year, according to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

That’s just 200 officers shy of the target number Strickland has pushed since taking office. The goal is to reach 2,300 officers by the end of 2020. 

In his weekly newsletter to constituents, Strickland said that because of improved recruiting efforts and increased officer pay — 9.75 percent to 11.75 percent since 2016 — the police department has been able to hire close to 450 new officers since he took office in 2016.

Strickland said, “we inherited a broken and ineffective system.”

The department hit a modern low in early 2017 with a force of 1,909 commissioned officers, but since then, numbers have been on the upswing. The department currently has 2,066 officers and two training classes in session with a total of 90 police recruits.

Strickland said that rebuilding MPD is one of the components of his administration’s strategy for long-time crime reduction.

“Overhauling the system to recruit better has been a herculean task — perhaps the most time-consuming of my tenure as your mayor,” Strickland said. “But, it’s important. For long-term crime reduction to take place, we must have a fully staffed police department.”

Facebook/MPD

128th Basic Recruit Class

MPD is now accepting applications for its Fall Academy through Friday, August 16th. The 131st Basic Recruit class begins on September 30th and wraps up February 28th.

“We are looking for highly dedicated and motivated candidates who enjoy serving their community and protecting others,” a press release from the city reads.

More information about joining MPD can be found here.