On Sunday, February 11 the City of Memphis was put on alert for an armed man on a shooting spree around the City. Mayor Paul Young said his "heart goes out to the families and individuals impacted."
As Mayor, he has no control over the local police department, judges or state government — which greatly affects the prevention and conviction of such crimes.
However, Young says it's within his purview to gather "all actors in the room (i.e. judges, DA, Shelby County Sheriffs, MPD, MSCS officials, etc.) and start a common dialog". Young aims to get local and state officials on the same page, so that crime and other systemic issues can be addressed holistically.
Mayor Young joins host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries for the first of a two-part conversation about his plans for the future.
In Part 1 — Young discusses public safety, including crime initiatives, keeping or replacing Memphis Police Department Chief Davis, policing, and more.
Part 2 will air Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10.