MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As violent crime continues to explode across Memphis, some state lawmakers are looking to step in and help stop the problem.
Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis traveled to Nashville on Tuesday to back a bill that would lift residency requirements for her officers.
Mayor Jim Strickland said it’s something he’s pushed for years.
“If you truly are concerned in the rise of violent crime and want to increase the number of police officers we have, we have to extend beyond the county to be able to hire,” Strickland said. “We’ve been stuck at this 2,000, 2,100 officers for a couple of years now. We need 2,500. We need to be able to go from the largest pool possible and the data shows the more officers we have, the lower we can drive the crime rate.”
That bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) and Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby). It has cleared a House subcommittee.
But with some new amendments added just Tuesday, that proposal will only apply to Memphis, which rubbed some of our state representatives the wrong way.
“Now we’re here once again, preempting local government and focusing in on Memphis. I’m a little offended by that, a little insulted by that,” said Rep. Larry Miller (D-Memphis).
“I still have heartburn knowing that people will be able to come to Memphis to make a living, then make their life somewhere else,” said Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis).
Faison was at the hearing to defend his bill. He says the proposal is part of a shared vision for a safer Tennessee.
“We all have a shared vision together that we want to live in a safe neighborhood,” he said. “And I, like the two gentlemen from Shelby County — part of me thinks, ‘Hey wait a minute, why are we limited just to Shelby County?’ But when I ask that question, I also look over my shoulder and realize that I have the Chamber of Commerce from Shelby County here. I have the Police Chief from Shelby County here, I have the Fire union president from Shelby County here. I have the Memphis city police union here.
“You know what I didn’t see out here, is those powerful individuals with the boots on the ground that are over lives from other counties asking us to fix this. But I do see these people, who we all have mad respect for, and we also have the Mayor of Memphis supporting this. So when I see that we have these type of individuals coming here saying, ‘Would you please get this fixed in such a way that we can enjoy our shared vision of a safe neighborhood.’ And I don’t see that anywhere else in the state coming and asking us to fix this, then I realize, you know what, this committee is justified in saying this is an area of Tennessee — because we’re all Tennesseans — this is an area of Tennessee that needs some help right now.”
After that argument, the bill cleared a house subcommittee on a voice vote, seemingly without opposition.
Back in January, the Memphis City Council decided not to take up residency requirements as the state took up the bill.
It was introduced last year after council members pulled a referendum from the ballot in 2020.