New MPD website to build trust, openness
The city of Memphis has created a new website for the Memphis Police Department, www.reimagine.memphistn.gov. On that site, citizens can file a complaint, view policies and procedures, view demographics of MPD and more.
“The foundation of every relationship is based on trust, and that trust is built on honesty and transparency,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. “This website will allow anyone to submit questions, suggestions and general feedback about how we can be better.”
Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings said he expects that someone from the city will monitor the website.
The site includes information about the six pillars of former President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which Rallings said his department has been working off of since they were released. The pillars are closely aligned with many suggestions recently made to city officials, he said.
“Our goal is to get more community involvement so we can better serve all of our citizens. We want to hear from you,” Rallings said. “I think we can be more purposeful and do more to more closely align with 21st Century Policing and what our citizens are asking us to do.”
Strickland also went over recommendations made by various groups his administration has met with in recent weeks, including the group led by activists Devante Hill and Frank Gottie; the Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter; the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope; the Democratic Socialists and a group of Memphis nonprofits.
In many cases, his administration has agreed with recommendations, including banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation, strengthening the city’s civilian law enforcement review board and requiring officers to intervene when witnessing another using excessive force, Strickland said.
Last week, Strickland and Rallings held a press conference during which they laid out specific reforms around five areas, including the CLERB.
After that press conference, a group of pastors expressed frustration about the conversation, saying they had not come to a consensus on change and accusing Strickland of reinforcing the “status quo.”
Discussions between officials, activists and faith leaders have been underway in Memphis for the past month after a white Minneapolis police officer killed an unarmed Black man named George Floyd. Floyd’s death launched nationwide protests against police brutality. Strickland said he does “wholly disagree” with the idea of reducing the MPD budget, one of the recommendations made by the nonprofit group, Strickland said.
“We are hundreds of officers short of where we need to be. We should not reduce our complement through budget cuts,” Strickland said.
More details on the discussions will be included in future updates, Strickland said.
Although he does not believe that the core mission of the police department should change, Strickland did give examples of things that he said should be “reimagined.” Those included whether police officers should respond to every mental illness call or every car accident, he said.
“Those are things I’d really like to dig in on with community input and see if we can reimagine,” Strickland said. “We’ve kind of dumped so many responsibilities on our police officers that maybe it’s best a counselor or mental health expert respond to.”
Strickland also expressed his gratitude for law enforcement.
“While there are definitely bad officers out there, the overwhelming majority of our officers here in Memphis are honest, decent and hardworking men and women who love their jobs and the communities they serve,” he said.