WKNO TRANSCRIPT
CHRISTOPHER BLANK (Host): For Memphis, the past year will probably be remembered for President Trump's crime fighting task force. No doubt violent crime and other serious offenses have dropped, but it's also strained the county's criminal justice system and raised concerns about racial profiling. Political analyst Otis Sanford is back with us to talk about the year behind and ahead of us. Happy New Year, Otis!
OTIS SANFORD: Happy New Year to you, Chris. Good to be with you.
BLANK: So, the Memphis Safe Task Force was probably the most politically heated issue of 2025, at least in Memphis. Did it offer any revelations about our local leaders?
SANFORD: Well, I think so, especially when you talk about the two mayors: the city mayor, Paul Young, county mayor Lee Harris. I think it offered a contrast between those two. Young was much more conciliatory to the task force, while Harris was more contentious in my mind. And of course, other political leaders -- Brent Taylor, for example -- you know, he loved to claim credit for reducing crime in Memphis. And then you had others, especially Democrats, who took a dim view of it. So, yeah, I mean, it was a contrast along party lines and also a contrast between the two mayors.
BLANK: You know, we have heard Republicans like Marsha Blackburn and Bill Lee talk about how this task force should be permanent or ongoing in some way, but it really doesn't seem all that feasible given the costs to it -- which, we really don't know the price tag on this completely, yet. Do you think this is a long-term thing or could we be seeing the end of the task force, at least as a major effort, sooner than later?
SANFORD: You're right. I mean, this is very costly. We have no idea how much and where that money is coming from. I really do expect that this will start to wind down at some point. What local law enforcement needs are resources to continue to make the reductions that had already started. Crime was already going down before the task force started. The police, the sheriff's department need resources to help them continue to address this issue and not just have the task force here forever and a day.
BLANK: Well, the Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes this month. And we learned recently that a few lawmakers like state Rep. Mark White are still pushing for a state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County schools. What is his most recent plan?
SANFORD: Rep. White's plan, which is pretty aggressive, calls for total oversight rather than an an advisory board. And this oversight group would have the power to veto budget decisions, decide about contracts, over $50,000 -- just basically say yes or no to the elected school board's decisions on practically everything. That's pretty drastic in my mind. But it seems to have the support of the Speaker (Cameron Sexton), at least for now, and likely we'll have the support in the Senate as well. This could end up, Chris, in the courts, as well.
BLANK: I guess what's weird about this is that the Shelby County Commission really spent the year trying to avoid this takeover, you know, by passing their new rules that now put put nine school board seats up for election this year. We know this was supposed to be the punishment for the bad decisions the school board made. What what happened here?
SANFORD: That's a baffling one for me, Chris, because this should have been enough. Local leaders were addressing the issue. Putting all nine seats on this year's election cycle is tantamount to a recall. And so, that should have been enough to back off the state legislators. But they are dead-set on taking over Memphis-Shelby County Schools in ways that to me seem to be unprecedented, and I think you're going to have some litigation on this and we'll see where it goes from there.
BLANK: Well, finally, Otis, elections in 2026 are going to be a big deal here in Shelby County. There's a big ballot for county offices including county mayor and sheriff, all the way down the line. What are the major issues facing any candidate who wants to be the mayor or the sheriff this year?
SANFORD: Let's start with the sheriff because I think the bigger issue there has to do with the jail, 201 Poplar, and the mess that is that facility. The task force that we just got through talking about has led to a lot more arrests. That means a lot more overcrowding in a jail that was already in a dilapidated state. So anybody who's running for County Sheriff is going to have to address this issue for an either a new jail or an upgrade or whatever they're planning to do there. As for the mayor, they will have to address that. They will also have have to address public health. Regional One is looking for a new spot. There's education issues to address. The bottom line here, Chris, is public safety, public health, and public education. That is going to be the topic for anybody running for any office in the county this year.
BLANK: And we will come back to those, maybe even starting next week, who knowns?
SANFORD: We likely will.
BLANK: Happy New Year and we'll talk next week!
SANFORD: Happy New Year to you, Chris, and happy New Year to our listeners!