MEMPHIS, Tennessee — With a record number of homicides continuing to grow in Memphis a city councilmember says now is the time for an anti-violence task force.
Just Monday another teenager lost his life too soon after a shooting. Councilman Jeff Warren believes a task force will help halt such crimes with involvement from community members.
Three years ago ten-year-old Richard Jordan died after being shot at Airways and Ketchum.
Memphis police said three cars pulled up to the victim’s car and opened fire. It’s shootings like this one Warren wants a task force to help prevent.
“We have to stop the killing,” he said. “We have to get the powerful weapons off the street and out of their hands.”
Warren wants to use a plan with a specific focus on urban violent crime.
“We don’t have enough community involvement, we don’t have enough involvement from ex-gang members and local activists and church leaders on the ground,” said Warren.
Leaders said the expense of murders in the city are also financial, for instance, the cost of finding the perpetrator and locking them up.
“Violence costs 10 million dollars per murder,” Warren said. “If we stopped 10 murders we save 100 million dollars.”
Warren said he thinks a plan of a task force from the book "Bleeding Out" is part of the answer for the city.
The plan is proactive – calling upon pastors, community volunteers and those with prior gang affiliation or knowledge.
“You catch the person who’s done the crime, try to take them off the street but ideally what you want to do is stop the next murder,” Warren explained.
Warren said it’ll take about 6 to 12 months to get the force off the ground. The resolution will be proposed in committee on December 1st.