City officials pledged to reform after the Department of Justice (DOJ) scath report on the Memphis Police Department (MPD). A task force was assembled and retired federal judge Bernice Donald was appointed as an independent monitor. Mayor Paul Young and the city’s leadership want them to believe they are taking meaningful steps towards accountability.
And I believe them. . . of seeds.
I think Mayor Young, City Attorney Tannella George and their administration want to improve public safety and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. But wanting to do the right thing is not the same as the right thing.
And now, Memphis’ approach to police reform is beginning to resemble familiar patterns.
For those of us who have spent years in Memphis looking for justice, this moment is eerie and familiar. After police killed Darius Stewart in 2015, 2016 Bridge DemonstrationI heard about the promise of reform. Nothing changed. Tyre Nichols died after a violent 2022 traffic stopwe were told that cities take accountability seriously. But the same system remains the same. The DOJ survey only confirmed what the black community in Memphis has known for many years. This is what the MPD is engaged with unconstitutional police, particularly Black residents.
So why should we believe that this is different?
Justice Department opens civil rights investigation in Memphis after TyreNichols’ death
Rather than submitting a federal consent ruling that would have provided an enhanced court-enforced surveillance and clear accountability mechanism, the city decided to police itself. This is not a real reform. This is a strategic decision to avoid federal surveillance and puts a burden on the very communities suffering under police misconduct. This is a long-standing playbook used by local governments to slow meaningful changes.
Announce new initiatives.
Appoint a committee or task force.
We will hold several public meetings to demonstrate transparency.
Wait until public attention fades.
This way, city officials can claim that they are doing something without actually changing the system that will last the abuse.
The newly formed police reform task force is already met with skepticism. Community organizers and activists who have long fought for police accountability were not meaningfully involved in the formation of this group. The process of selecting task force members was not transparent. There is no clear mission as to what the task force will accomplish. Not to mention how it enforces the recommendations.
Who is this task force really serving? Are you an institution that benefits from the people of Memphis and the status quo?
We watched the task force and committees come and go, and created a report that collected dust while systematic injustice persisted. The actual test of this initiative is whether to force accountability on the MPD or simply expand the timeline until public pressure collapses.
Despite detailed reports from the DOJ outlining the terrible misconduct within the MPD, Memphis officials have not provided evidence that the person in charge is liable. How many officers were fired in the DOJ report? How many people faced meaningful disciplinary action? How many are still patrolling Memphis Street?
The silence of these questions speaks.
Meanwhile, community members are required to be patient. The task force will deliberate for two years before presenting a reform plan.. 2 years. Two more years of unconfirmed police power. Systematic negligence for another two years. For another two years, Memphis prioritizes institutional stability over community safety.
And by then, the national political landscape may have changed, making reform even more difficult – if not impossible.
I am worried that police and community relations will not improve, especially given the broader political situation, but will not get any worse, rather than worse. We are moving to an age where the federal government may be an obstacle rather than an ally in police reform. If Memphis officials are not currently acting decisively, they may soon find themselves in an environment in a country that is less likely to police accountability than what we have.
Memphis does not require separate committees, separate research, or separate delayed promises.
All you need is action, swift, uncompromising and fluttering.
Judge Donald and the task force must increase transparency and promote deliverables. Or, when police violence inevitably occurs again, it is left to explain the next tragedy.
The mayor and city leaders have options. Do something politically safe or morally right.
Memphis is watching. And I will never forget history.
Get the morning heading.
