The plea for help from a downtown business leader that was this blog’s last post is suggesting some encouraging results.
Commitments are already being made. Everyone is at the table seeking solutions so that downtown continues as the region’s entertainment, economic, and cultural hub.
Because of the problem-solving attitude displayed so far, there’s hope that it will resolve the issues raised in the last post. Those of us that have been involved in downtown issues for many decades are not prone to be Pollyannish but there is an urgency to what is needed now and the sticktoitness to find solutions.
Most of all, it’s worth remembering that downtown is not a scary place that we should avoid. That’s why we go there for sports events, cultural events, and now the new, grand Tom Lee Park that is the hub for a six-mile necklace of riverfront parks.
Just yesterday, I received an email from someone who lives part-time in Wyoming and part-time in Memphis. It had been months since she was downtown. She writes: “When I parked my car at Front and Union and, for the first time, I walked the paths of the newly-redesigned Tom Lee Park. Again, am I out of my ever-lovin’ mind? I felt no danger or fear and I was blown away by the splendor of that creation. It is spectacular. The hour was 4:30 pm. There were walkers, runners, basketballers, families, individuals…and a cadre of MPD officers.”
If, as I have written often, Memphis is worth fighting for, that goes double for downtown. It seems that progress has been made since the last post but for lasting results, it will take lasting dedication to the process.
The Followup
Here’s an email update on the positive developments that have happened since the plea for help was sent out:
Thank you to all who were able to join us to discuss Downtown Traffic Plans and Safety recently. A big thanks to Chief Davis and her leadership team for taking the time out of their busy schedules to listen to our concerns and shed light on some of their challenges. And thank you to Jamie Phair of FedEx for co-chairing the meeting and getting clarification on many points for our corporate safety teams.
Below I review some positive changes that have come from our meeting, as well as things you and your teams can do to help make and keep Downtown Safe:
- Colonel McNeil got approval immediately following our meeting to have six Downtown Officers, two from each shift, go through Environmental Court Training. This is something that was common under Judge Potter’s tenure at Environmental court and proved effective in curbing issues such as food truck violations, dumpster location and maintenance, blight and general cleanliness. Officers partaking in this training learn not only how to be on the lookout for environmental violations that give our neighborhood a sense of uncleanliness and disorder, but how to write tickets that will stick in court to ensure these perpetrators will be less inclined to return to our streets. Thank you MPD! Colonel McKinley also plans to coordinate with the Shelby County Health Department to work together to address these issues.
- MPD & SCSO are coordinating better on street closures. Streets Downtown outside of Beale were mostly open and freely flowing in the early evening hours this weekend with police dispersed more evenly throughout Downtown. They have heard our requests to keep main arteries like Peabody Place open to allow ingress and egress to parking garage.
- SCCO have joined MPD in utilizing stationary lights instead of flashing lights when stationed in corners, showing a strong police presence without having the negative effect of looking like one big active crime scene.
- Colonel McNeil is looking strategically at officer deployment to ensure they have the right officers in the right places at the right times. Chief Davis is working on a permanent Downtown compliment of officers – so less revolving door & a more stable force with firsthand knowledge of DT’s needs.
- MPD is looking to add 30 officers to Downtown.
- Downtown MPD has recently brought back Bike Patrols, Mini Motors & Mounted Police patrols
THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP:
CONNECT TO MEMPHIS SECURITY CAMERA INTEGRATION PROGRAM
Add your business’s security cameras to the MPD’s Camera System here: https://connect2memphis.org/
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
Instruct your staff & security teams to call the non-emergency police response number 545-COPS or the North Main Precinct Desk Officer at 901- 636-4099 when they see a potential questionable or dangerous situation start to develop.
One of the most enlightening things we learned during our conversation was how hamstrung our law officers are in actively policing. Officers, even ones stationed on the corners, need the backing of an official complaint in order to actively engage in a situation. If you see a large gathering starting to take place on a corner, Call 545-COPS. If you see vehicles blocking intersections, call 545-COPS. If you witness a minor traffic incident or streets have come to a standstill, call 545-COPS. See a suspected stolen vehicle (familiarize yourself with what a real drive out tag looks like), call 901-545-COPS. Always call 911 in an emergency situation.
Engage our Local and State Representatives in enacting effective legislation that protects their citizens. Below is some low hanging fruit on which to start.
Locally –
- Petition City Council to allow the DMC’s Blue Suede Brigadiers to ticket on the Main Street Mall.
- Request that the City have Code Enforcement out on a regular basis outside of the 9-5 Mon-Fri office hours
- Voice your support of the ETV “Transportainment” Ordinance currently before City Council to regulate party buses, tractors, etc
- Ask the Shelby County Health Department to partner with the MPD EDU to address evening and weekend environmental violations.
- Encourage city leaders to pass legislation that requires private lots & garages to have their own security.
- Encourage the DMC and/or the city to explore implementing an emergency communications system, like LiveSafe for downtown businesses.
State –
- TN is one of only TWO states that allow the sale of car programmers. Pass a law that prohibits the sale and use of car programmers to individuals and organizations outside oflaw enforcement personnel, insurance organizations, or leasing business entities.
- Review our laws and how we prosecute car thefts, in particular car theft rings.
- Encourage the state to enact sensible gun laws
- Re-Instate Mandatory Annual Car Inspections. Not only do annual inspections help improve legal car registration rates, but they help keep our roads safe by keeping unsafe vehicles off them.
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Thank you for following up on the result of your recent blog post. But I did not see one thing mentioned that has concerned me downtown: What is being done about reckless driving, people hating out windows, and racing engines and burnouts? These are not just traffic issues, they are noise issues. Buildings downtown tend to anmilivy and contain the noise of these burnouts and racing engines more than other places. Plus downtown has a high percent of pedestrian traffic. Traffic violations and noise issues from people doing stupid things with cars is one of the biggest annoyances downtown and it last late int to he night and is not just on weekends. We’ve even have multiple instances of people racing ATVs down Main Street on the trolley tracks. Main Street is a pedestrian area from peabody Place to the north! This is DANGEROUS and out of control. What is being done about this? Please use you voice and platform to address this with MPD. Hopefully we’ll hear about some follow up on if there is any plan to address this.
I agree with the reckless and lawless driving sentiment expressed. Why are any motor vehicles of any kind other than MATA or law enforcement vehicles allowed on the Main Street pedestrian area? There should be traffic enforcement there to give out tickets. The area is for pedestrians.
You are unquestionably right. This is an unlawful activity and should be treated harshly.
Am I to assume these suggestions “Locally” include all of Memphis within the city limits and not just downtown? I hope so. I would like to see “Encourage” replaced by “Inforce” on *Encourage city leaders to pass legislation that requires private lots & garages to have their own security. This needs to be mandated for lots/garages that serve at least 100 cars. As for the “State”, *Encourage the state to enact sensible gun laws, we must continue and push hard on this fight with Nashville~ Let’s consider the safety of all Memphis citizens.