As a lifelong Memphian and the leader of an organization working every day to build a safer, more just city, I know real safety starts with protecting and investing in our children. But the children of Memphis are not safe if the police in Memphis are not transparent, trustworthy, and accountable to the community. That’s why my organization is demanding information from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) about continued use of force and racial targeting that was exposed in an investigation from the Department of Justice. And that’s why we’re pushing forward with this demand even as the Trump Administration—which abandoned Memphis when we were asking for federal help to address police abuse—now threatens our community with regressive and abusive police tactics and counter-productive militarization.
Despite publicly committing to change, MPD is refusing to turn over public records it is legally required to provide and hiding the truth from the very community it claims to protect. We will not let MPD evade the transparency that real reform demands.
One thing is certain: regardless of the path politicians choose, our community will not be deterred in protecting the people of Memphis from abusive policing.
Well before federal investigations brought national attention to Memphis, we joined advocates across Tennessee to sound the alarm about violence and abuse at the hands of the Memphis Police Department (MPD). Following the preventable and unnecessary killing of Tyré Nichols in 2023, our community united in collective grief and resolve to demand that the Department of Justice launch a “pattern or practice” investigation into the MPD.
The subsequent Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and report validated what our community had been saying all along: MPD engages in a pattern of unconstitutional conduct that puts people—especially Black and Brown residents —in harm's way. The report revealed deeply disturbing patterns of misconduct and brutality, including police unleashing K9 units on people who were sleeping or otherwise compliant, training directives instructing officers to “hurt them first and hurt them bad,” and routine use of pepper spray until people could barely breathe. The investigation also found abusive tactics used against children—who are most in need of our protection.
These horrific facts represent only a fraction of the DOJ’s damning and comprehensive findings. What emerges from the report is not a story of isolated bad actors, but rather evidence of department-wide failures of training, leadership, supervision, and culture.
While the DOJ’s report put wind in our sails, it was never the end goal. Rather, it was a roadmap for the transformative change our community demands. Our vision has always been a Memphis where every person – regardless of race, income, or neighborhood – can feel safe walking to school, driving to work, or simply existing without fear of police violence. The Trump administration has since closed the investigation and criticized the findings and is now fueling abusive policing tactics that we know endanger lives and lead to civil rights violations.
Try as they might, the Trump administration’s attempt to turn police on the communities they are supposed to serve only strengthens our commitment to work towards a safer Memphis. That's why, in May, we joined the ACLU to submit a public records request to MPD seeking documents and information that would help us understand use of force and racial targeting that’s happening on the streets right now and what reforms are needed. Access to this information is essential to ensure that our leaders’ promises of change translate into meaningful improvements in people’s experiences with the police.
But instead of embracing transparency and joining us in the fight for safer communities, city officials and MPD outright denied our request for information. Their refusal violates state law—which favors transparency in public institutions and requires MPD to provide the information we requested. This denial is an unacceptable attempt to shield the department from public scrutiny and to suppress the truth. In an open letter delivered on September 18, 2025 to the MPD and Mayor Paul Young, we made it clear that they must provide the answers and information we are legally entitled to and stop operating in secrecy.
While Mayor Young has publicly committed to change and has created a task force aimed at reforming MPD, promises are not enough. If our leaders are serious about building trust with communities and transforming policing culture in Memphis, they must begin by engaging the public in good faith and sharing the information that we are legally and morally entitled to.
Memphis belongs to all of us, and we deserve far more than apologies or empty promises after tragedy. We deserve action and a government committed to transparency rather than one that operates in the shadows. Real safety starts with truth, accountability, and leaders who are willing to sit at the table and collaborate with the communities they serve.
MPD and Mayor Young now confront a choice. They can continue to delay and deny us the truth, or they can meet this moment with courage and honesty and join us in the work of building a safer, more just city. One thing is certain: regardless of the path politicians choose, our community will not be deterred in protecting the people of Memphis from abusive policing. We will continue to demand justice, insist on truth, and work towards a safer Memphis for all.
