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Mayors, Law Enforcement Officials Announce Plans To “Make Memphis/Shelby County One Of The Safest Communities Of Its Size In The Nation ”

Release Date: June 2, 2006

MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis Mayor W. W. Herenton and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, along with the county’s other mayors and top law enforcement officials, announced on May 30,  2006,  their top priority is reducing crime in Memphis and Shelby County. While crime rates in Memphis and Shelby County have decreased significantly in recent years, incidents of crime—specifically violent, gang-related crime—began to rise in 2005.

Mayor Herenton and Mayor Wharton were joined by Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin; Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell; Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons; United States Attorney David Kustoff; Mayor Keith McDonald of Bartlett; Mayor Linda Kerley of Collierville; Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy of Germantown; Mayor Terry Jones of Millington; Mayor Russell Wiseman of Arlington; and Mayor Scott Carmichael of Lakeland. The group announced the launch of a strategic initiative – OPERATION SAFE COMMUNITY -- with one ultimate goal: to make Memphis and Shelby County one of the safest metropolitan communities in the country. 

Planning for Operation Safe Community began six months ago – spearheaded by the four top law enforcement leaders, and Mayor Wharton and Mayor Herenton – with planning and strategic support from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, Memphis Tomorrow, and Department of Criminology at the University of Memphis. 

A comprehensive strategic plan to reduce crime will be developed over the next five months, and unveiled at a Crime and Public Safety Summit before year end.  This planning will include a cross-section of public and private partners, including leaders from public schools, juvenile court, social service agencies, faith-community, business, media, neighborhood leaders, and government, among others.

Town hall meetings were held in March and April with representatives from various parts of the community.  The law enforcement leaders received input from these town hall meetings that will assist them with the strategic plan. 

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