On this week’s WKNO/Channel 10's Behind the Headlines, host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries are joined by Memphis Shelby Crime Commission President Bill Gibbons and State Senators Brent Taylor (R-Dist. 31) and London Lamar (D-Dist. 33).
The group discusses recent state and local efforts to tackle the crime epidemic in Shelby County.
Taylor says that a holistic approach must begin by holding criminals accountable and "to prosecute [them] to the fullest extent of the law." Taylor adds: "if we did that approach here, we would bring down the crime rate in Shelby County."
While also advocating for a holistic approach, Sen. Lamar believes that focusing too much on the punishments is just going to repeat a cycle of never-ending crime. Lamar says that crime prevention data "has shown that investment in education works; raising the minimum wage so families can afford to work one job and then be able to take care of their families - be involved in their kids' lives - works."
Gibbons adds that "it's not an either-or. We have to invest in prevention, intervention, and accountability or suppression."