Much has been written about the city council meeting this past week where the measure to relax residency requirements in hiring MPD officers was voted down so there's not much more to add here except a rant.
As someone who's been a recent victim of crime in Midtown the hiring of 200-300 more cops seems significant. It hardly takes a rocket scientist to figure this one out--the black council members, cognizant of jobs and fearful of white police from the 'burbs, are running a protection play with the end goal being a drive to get the standards lowered for entering the force.
The white council members and the two black mayors are trying to get more officers onto the force (and who knows what race they'll be) because they understand how crime can drive away business. And votes.
The black council members, including one who could quite easily be in jail herself for recent crimes, couldn't care less about future crime victims, their job is to keep the bed feathered in the great struggle. No 'country first' or even 'city first' there.
So, citizens are left with this steaming can of poop. Assuming the MPD does not lower their standards we'll continue to have a deficiency in officer staffing and a crime rate higher than most. At some point the shrinking corporate universe housed in Memphis might decide they don't want to place their employees in such an environment and skedaddle for the sticks. If that happens the fingerpointing will be at them not the Council, of course.
But hey, at least we've got Steven Seagal.
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