Memphis to post reports on officers’ use of force
The city of Memphis committed Tuesday that it plans to begin posting information about the Memphis Police Department’s use-of-force incidents on a city website perhaps as soon as early 2021.
City of Memphis Chief Communications Officer Ursula Madden told the Memphis City Council that the city is working to stand up a website that would allow the public to review use of force and excessive force data in Memphis. Cities such as Chicago, Seattle and Richfield, Minnesota, have dashboards.
Madden said the city hopes to have a framework for what the website would look like in two to three weeks and hoped to have it available to the public by early 2021.
The Chicago dashboard breaks
down use-of-force incidents by specific geographies, including police beats and neighborhoods, and months of the year.
The Seattle dashboard also provides specific incident numbers, the police shift and the race of those involved.
City spokesperson Dan Springer said the city is still working through drafts of what the site would look like and what the site would include.
Madden told the council the accountability dashboard could be linked to the city’s Reimagining Policing website or its data website.
The city launched the policing website this summer as part of its commitment to improve relations between MPD and the community.
At present, it has links to MPD policy and memorandums detailing the city’s abandonment of no-knock warrants.
In a video address Friday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the city planned to announce a community commission to help inform the city’s effort to reimagine policing, which he said would be entering its second phase.
He said the commission would be made up of community members who would hear from others in the community.
The announcement of the commission is expected this week.
Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter at @samhardiman.