MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Citizens can submit questions that might be picked for a virtual forum with Memphis Police Department's new police chief CJ Davis this Friday. The forum will be moderated by the NAACP's Memphis branch and streamed publicly. Most neighbors in Binghampton posed a similar question regarding how she will improve the relationship between the police and citizens.
"I would ask her how would she build relationships in the community?" Binghampton resident Shun Abram said.
Abram's neighbor, Brooke King, is also most concerned about how the department engages with people across the city.
"How is she going to change the environment in which we all live in right now?" King said.
Abram is glad Davis has said community policing will be a top priority because he believes it will be critical for her success.
"How to provide and serve for a community and understanding is part of that, so you can help without hurting," Abram said.
King believes true community policing means encouraging officers to have real connections with citizens by walking the streets and getting involved with a community informally.
"I think they need to have the police engaged in the communities more," King said. "I don’t see police, I just see their cars."
While it may take some time, both Abram and King agree positive police relations can help their neighborhood prosper.
"I think they are seen as a threat," King said. "They’re not seen as being someone who can almost comfort or provide support for our community."
Abram also said hiring the city's first African American woman in the role is a positive change, but she will have a lot of work to do.
"From here how can we see those actions because that’s going to speak louder than anything else," Abram said.