MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee visited Memphis for a press conference at Tennessee Highway Patrol Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 a.m.
Gov. Lee immediately addressed the series of violent criminal acts that happened this week. He also commended Memphis law enforcement for their work to respond to the tragic events that took place.
"The people of Memphis have seen the face of evil, and these, along with other members of law enforcement, have met that evil head on," Gov. Lee said.
As the week begins to close, many are still troubled by the kidnapping and murder of Eliza Fletcher and the death of four citizens who were killed in a mobile mass shooting.
Citizens are not only looking to leadership for answers, but also for solutions.
"Innocent lives have been taken, and these criminals will be held accountable. And justice will and should be just and severe," Gov. Lee said.
The governor said that tragic events like these are why so much money has been used toward recruiting and hiring more law enforcement officers.
He also said that stiffening penalties on violent offenders is a step toward reducing crime. According to Lee, criminal offenders who are not supervised after completing their sentencing are more likely to commit crime again.
Lee said new sentences will require mandatory supervision for all offenders after they are released.
Gov. Lee also addressed the issue of "convenient plea deals.
"We cannot be soft on crime. That is a bad strategy," Gov. Bill Lee said. "It results in bad outcomes for a community."
He said "convenient plea deals cannot come at the cost of justice", noting that serious conversations need to follow from here.
Punishing crime is only half the battle, one that is lost without crime prevention.
Loose Tennessee gun laws have been a consistent concern for citizens.
When asked whether Tennessee should suspend the open carry gun law, the governor had this to say:
"Well I think that the open carry law is a law that applies to law abiding citizens. What we've been watching unfold in the last several days are criminal acts. Criminals who are using guns in crimes. And as I've said to you before we've actually stiffened penalties for those crimes particularly that are related to gun crimes."
How do we improve?
Gov. Bill Lee said that as a community and as a state, its important to focus on strategies that have been proven to reduce crime. He listed several solutions like hiring more police officers, allocating more funding for police departments and hiring more police officers, even recruiting across state lines.
When questioned about sentencing for juvenile offenders, Gov. Lee said, "juvenile offenders become adult offenders if we don't do a good job of working with those juvenile offenders."
According to Gov. Lee, offering anger management classes for juveniles, enrolling them in work programs and pushing rehabilitation are all ways that will provide positive reinforcement for juveniles.
Gov. Lee made the point that regardless of the sentencing , the majority of people who are in prison will be released one day.
The governor said he, like he believes the Memphis community is, is committed to improving the system that will lower crime and lower repeat offenders.
