MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said Tuesday her department has set a goal for the upcoming calendar year including changes coming to staffing, new units, and reducing crime overall.
Davis said the department is hoping for a 5 percent reduction in part one crime which is a combination of both violent crime and property crime.
She said a 5 percent drop in incidents is “reasonable” and acknowledged that her department knows what they’re up against with the crime trends and kids about to be out of school for the summer.
There will also be Girl Scout troops sponsored at every precinct.
Starting next month, the department will activate 50 part-time positions staffed by retired officers to enhance community engagement.
Also looking ahead, 30 additional officers will be added to the entertainment district downtown by the end of next month. It’s something Chief Davis told us was needed when we recently spoke following the deadly shootout on Beale Street in April.
Also next month MPD plans to have a unit dedicated solely to addressing traffic problems with a new commander along with 10 officers, including an additional 6 motorcycle officers.
The chief told us previously the department didn’t have the staffing needed, but they’re starting to get more numbers to deploy resources.
“As a person that drives the streets of Memphis, we’ve got volume here but we’ve got some mean drivers on the road and we want to be able to demonstrate that the Memphis Police Department is out there to enforce the law and take us off the list of being high fatalities in the state of Tennessee,” Davis said.
Overall goals from the chief include getting crime down, building relationships with the community, and getting people more engaged.
