The City of Memphis has long suffered from a shortage of police officers, especially since the rise of crime during the pandemic. Memphis Police Association Chief Steward John Covington says that the Memphis Police Academy is about to have one of its largest graduating classes of "about 80 to 90 students."
Covington says that "from the FBI statistics and the Crime Commissions, you see pretty clearly from the charts that as [the number of] police officers go up, crime seems to drop."
Covington adds that with more police officers, existing employees need not put in so much overtime. It also allows officers to take a more proactive approach to their jobs.
Covington joins this week's WKNO/Channel 10 Behind the Headlines with host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries. Covington discusses some of the efforts the Memphis Police Department is taking to recruit more officers.
Covington talks about what it means to be a MPD officer, including involvement with the community, the physical toll, and pension plans.