Securing Our Future: From Empty Jails to Empty Schools

Public safety is the number one concern I hear about when I knock on doors in District 7. But when we talk about safety, we can’t just talk about "toughness"—we have to talk about capacity. Currently, Shelby County is approximately 1,000 people short across our police departments, the Sheriff's office, and our jails.

Think about that: 1,000 positions. That is a workforce larger than many major corporations in our city. These are jobs with benefits, retirement plans, and tuition reimbursement. My priority is to fill that gap with Memphians.

Filling the Gap

We need to aggressively market these roles as what they are: a path to a stable, middle-class life. But we also have to address why they are empty. Is it the pay? The culture? The barriers to entry? As Commissioner, I will dive into the data to ensure we are competitive enough to attract the best talent to keep our streets safe. When we are 1,000 people short, we aren't just less safe—we are burning out the good men and women who are already on the force.

The "Closed School" Problem

Safety isn't just about patrols; it's about the environment we live in. One of the most frustrating things to see in District 7 is a massive school building that has been closed and left to rot. When we close a school, we are often creating the very blight that destroys the surrounding neighborhood.

We need a "Demo or Develop" policy. If a building is no longer serving as a school, it must be repurposed immediately—whether as a community center, a trade school, or affordable housing. If it can't be repurposed, the cost of demolition should be part of the closure budget. We cannot continue to leave these giants as scars on our community.

A Livable Community

Ultimately, people stay in Shelby County when they feel safe and when they see investment. We are the center of the country, a transportation hub with the infrastructure of the world at our doorstep. We have the bones of a great city; we just need the leadership to put the muscle back on it. By addressing our safety vacancies and our blighted infrastructure, we make District 7 a place where businesses want to open and where families want to stay.