MEMPHIS, Tenn — Wednesday, the president of the Greater Memphis Chamber gave Governor Bill Lee a letter signed by executives from some of the wealthiest companies in Memphis, laying out specific demands and policy changes to curb local crime.
2023 was a record-setting year for Memphis in several crime categories, including homicide. The fear is this could scare companies away from Memphis, costing citizens jobs.
More than 80 executives put their names on the document, including leadership from companies like FedEx, Nike and Kroger.
In the letter, Greater Memphis Chamber CEO Ted Townsend said their confidence in public safety has fallen to an “unsustainable low” and that something must change.
“Crime in this community is now at a point where it's not sustainable,” said state Representative John Gillespie of Memphis, who received an early copy of the letter and is a proponent of many of their policy changes. “People are going to leave, and businesses will close.”
“It’s scary knowing that I have to think about in 2024, maybe I'll have to find a fresh start; I have to try to start over somewhere,” said life-long Memphian Jimmy Jackson when asked about crime’s impact on the job market.
The Memphis business community’s demands include a $50 million grant for crime reduction strategies, more judges from outside Shelby County to try cases and passing a proposed state law that makes convictions of a stolen gun a felony.
Rep. Gillespie, who proposed that gun bill, said that the most immediate change will come not from the state level, but the local one.
“We have made some decisions here in this community to elect certain people to try certain policies,” he said. “They're not working. Crime is getting worse.”
In a statement, Townsend told ABC24:
“This letter, signed by more than 80 of our Chairman’s Circle investors, is a first step as the Greater Memphis Chamber and our business community follow through on our commitment to provide support and accountability to officials as they overcome challenges to public safety. We’re asking the state to be a co-investor and policy partner in making Memphis safer, and we feel hopeful based on our conversations with state legislators that they will take swift action to come alongside Memphis with additional support and resources.”
Rep. Gillespie said there is less money in the budget for the 2024 Tennessee Legislative Session compared to years past but said he will keep fighting for public safety measures.