This week on WKNO/Channel 10’s “Behind the Headlines,” host Eric Barnes and Bill Dries welcomed Memphis Mayor Paul Young, who shared important insights following a recent No Kings protest. The gathering, originally a permitted event in a park, escalated into a march through downtown, resulting in some participants being met with pepper spray by the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Young says four officers have been placed on administrative leave while the Memphis Police Department's Internal Affairs reviews the incident.
“Well, anytime there's a use of force incident [by MPD] . . .they do these internal investigations, and we're doing that right now, the officers on administrative leave while it takes place,” Young said.
In discussing the unfolding events, Young emphasized the need for safety for both the officers involved and the protesters.
“When you think about the safety of not just the officers, but of the protesters and the participants in the march, it's important for the officers to be able to get them out of the right-of-way,” he said. “It's for their safety.”
Warmer months in Memphis typically bring a rise in crime rates. Young acknowledged that, although crime is trending downwards, it remains a concern.
“Crime is moving in the right direction, meaning it's trending down, but it's still too high. Crime is not over,” he said.
Young called for a collaborative effort in addressing youth crime, emphasizing that it takes more than law enforcement to tackle these challenges.
“We don't want that onus of responsibility to stay just on government. Everybody has to play a role,” Young said. “We want our parents, we want our uncles, our aunts, and grandmothers, grandfathers, everybody who's in these young people's lives... let's be vigilant.”
He also mentioned the ongoing discussions among city officials regarding a potential youth curfew, highlighting some challenges that come with it.
“That has been the only thing that has prevented us from implementing the curfew is we have to have a place to transfer custody of the young person,” he said.
Beyond policing, Young discussed ongoing uncertainty around Memphis-Shelby County Schools following a state audit and discussions about potential intervention.
“We don't have a direct responsibility for it, but certainly we are... interested in making sure that our kids are well educated and that they are positioned for success,” he said. “My hope is that after this audit that there will be more conversations with the state and that some form of partnership will be reached where the kids are at their center.”
Additionally, Young talked about how changes in state policy could have financial consequences for Memphis. A new law in Tennessee will alter how sales tax revenue is allocated, switching from census data collected every 10 years to annual population estimates. Young pointed out that this new formula may cause Memphis and other cities to lose revenue, and the city is advocating for a delay in its implementation.
“We've proposed a bill that would [hold] that off until the next census in 2030,” he said, noting that the issue impacts municipalities across the state.
Discussing the demographic shifts, Young noted that Memphis has lost around 35,000 residents since 2010, which impacts the city’s tax base and future growth.
“We're at 615,000. So that's a loss of 35,000 people. And that's not the trend that we want to see in our community,” he said.
Yet, amid these challenges, Young highlighted exciting economic development efforts, such as the expansion of xAI facilities in Memphis, which are expected to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue.
“All of those things happen because of tax revenue,” Young said. “My goal was to make sure it turns into a win, and I believe that we have done that.”
