A day after the Memphis City Council proposed a slew of initial policy changesfor the Memphis Police Department, Mayor Jim Strickland issued a statement saying he does not support defunding the department.
“With our city’s fight against violent crime, I believe cutting funding from the Memphis Police Department is unwise. And frankly, it’s out of touch with the majority of city residents,” he said, noting other investments the city has made in libraries, community centers and other programs.
Referring to his re-election campaign last year, he added, “the overwhelming majority of citizens were supportive of hiring more officers, and voted to increase the taxes they pay to do it."
Other local officials are already making efforts to redirect law enforcement budgets. This week, several county commissioners voted in favor of reallocating portions of the Sheriff Office’s budget. The motion did not pass.