MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – Tuesday, new voices emerged in a passionatedebate on whether Memphis police officers and firefighters should live within50 miles of the bluff city.
Memphis City Council member Martavious Jones wants to remove aplanned November referendum question on the topic, and that has Memphis PoliceDirector Mike Rallings frustrated.
He said his department needs 1,000 new recruits to graduate in thecoming years for MPD to rebuild its staff, and he wants a larger pool ofpotential applicants.
Thursday, a well-known community activist said non-Memphisresidents becoming MPD officers could lead to disaster in volatile patrolmoments.
“It is dangerous to bring someone in from outside a city thatthey are unfamiliar with,” Pastor Earle Fisher said.
That’s why Pastor Fisher told the Memphis City Council Thursday thathe’s against relaxing the requirements for Memphis police and firefighters tolive within 50 miles of the Bluff City.
“That would mean something to the effect of someone fromForrest City, AR, being equipped to protect and serve someone who lives in southMemphis,” Pastor Fisher said.
Fisher supports a proposal to remove a planned voter referendumthis fall on the residency requirement.
“We are going to have information and insight that thegeneral public is not going to have,” Martavious Jones of the Memphis CityCouncil said.
“if I was a voter, then I would want my voice to beheard,” Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings said.
Director Rallings argued a change in residency requirements isgreatly needed to boost his numbers on patrol.
“We are grossly understaffed and to bring that staff up, weare going to have remove all barriers to hiring Memphis police officers,”Director Rallings said.
Dr. Jeff Warren, one of six new Memphis City Council members, saidhe’s open to keeping the planned referendum on the ballot.
“What we have been doing hasn’t been working, and I hope wetry something different. And for that reason, I think we should try and bringpeople back in,” Dr. Warren said.
The Memphis City Council didn’t take any action on Jones’ proposal,but it’s expected to be brought up again in two weeks.
Council members also discussed another way to help with localrecruitment of new officers: relaxing grooming standards, as other policedepartments nationwide adopted in recent months and years.
“The new trend is for tattoos to be visible, to allowbeards,” Director Rallings said.
Relaxing MPD’s grooming rules isn’t a policy yet, but DirectorRallings told the Memphis City Council Tuesday it could be soon.
“We’ve been having a lot of discussions about groomingstandards, but it would be something I would discuss with you first before wedid it,” Director Rallings said.