Tennessee
Tennessee senator wants former NYPD commissioner’s help tackling Memphis crime
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Can the former top cop who dramatically reduced crime in New York City in the 1990s help make Memphis a safer city? State Senator Brent Taylor wants former New York Police Department Commissioner William Bratton to tackle the Bluff City’s crime problem.
Under former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Bratton’s tough-on-crime approach reduced crime in the Big Apple by double digits in the first year.
Bratton is now executive chairman of Risk Advisory at Teneo, a global consulting firm that Sen. Taylor thinks the state should hire to help Memphis fix its crime problem.
“We have to do something immediately,” Taylor told Action News 5, “and the best way to do that is with crime suppression, with our police arresting people, and with our DA hopefully prosecuting people, getting convictions and getting people incarcerated.”
Taylor sent a letter to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday, May 28, requesting a meeting to talk about the state hiring a consultant who can create a crime reduction strategy for Memphis.
“If we don’t get a handle on the crime problem,” said Taylor, “we’re going to wind up being the new Detroit, which is the example of a failed American city.”
Sen. Taylor said Bratton’s experience in reducing crime is what Memphis needs right now. NYPD’s “Broken Windows” approach, making arrests for small crimes, worked, but not without controversy.
State Senator London Lamar called the department’s “stop and frisk” policy inhumane and unfair to Black and brown citizens.
”I am feeling the challenges around public safety just as much as you are, I get it,” she told Action News 5. “It is of urgency that we get this under control, but that doesn’t mean we need to implement policies that will do more harm than good.”
Sen. Taylor’s letter said the state should avoid working with criminal justice reform groups like Just City, Decarcerate Memphis, Vera Institute of Justice and Justice Innovation Lab.
“They are about defunding the police,” said Taylor, “decarceration, and they are about cashless bail, and I think they are part of the problem.”
In a statement, Just City Executive Director Josh Spickler told Action News 5:
“Sen. Brent Taylor’s latest letter again misrepresents the work of Just City and those doing the most to interrupt cycles of injustice and harm in our state. His proposals are unserious and would do nothing to address crime in our city. Instead of exploring legitimate policy solutions, Taylor continues to make boogeymen of advocates like us in order to score political points.
Just City values safety and justice for everyone, and we will not be defined or deterred by Sen. Taylor’s latest letter-writing stunt. We will continue to work tirelessly to make our city safer and more fair for everyone, as we have for the past nine years.”
And the Vera Institute of Justice provided the following statement:
“Vera Institute was invited to Memphis by local organizations, like Decarcerate Memphis, that are led by directly-impacted people. Victims, community members, and advocates overwhelmingly want alternatives to incarceration. While police are an important part of keeping Memphis safe, they are not the only solution. Restorative justice is a solution that people want; by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, research shows that victims prefer the criminal legal system to focus more on rehabilitating people who commit crimes than punishing them. When Memphis city council passed the Tyre Nichols Act reprioritizing traffic stops to keep people safer and build community trust with police, state officials responded by passing legislation attempting to reverse it. Vera will continue to collaborate with local governments and support community demands for policies and practices that truly keep people safe.”
In 2013, a federal judge found the manner in which NYPD carried out “stop and frisk” was unconstitutional.
Sen. Lamar said she does agree with Bratton on several issues: He’s against arming teachers with guns, he supports bans on assault weapons and champions tougher gun laws.
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Tennessee
President Biden approved emergency declaration for Tennessee, federal disaster assistance
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — President Biden has approved federal disaster assistance by issuing an emergency declaration in Tennessee.
With Tropical Storm Helene’s impact causing significant flooding and other issues across the state, the declaration will allow for more money and resources to help with the aftermath.
It also authorizes FEMA to coordinate the relief efforts in the community and keep everyone safe from further catastrophe as best as possible.
Specific counties mentioned include Cocke, Hawkins and Washington, along with Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties.
Middle Tennessee schools score 2024 National Blue Ribbon for academic excellence
There are a lot of great schools in our area. Congratulations to four schools in the mid-state that were awarded National Blue Ribbons for Academic Execellence. The were among six in Tennessee to receive that honor. They were among 356 schools across the United States to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education!
-Lelan Statom
Tennessee
Officer who helped with rescue of Tennessee hospital patients says it was 'organized chaos'
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Tennessee
Dozens saved in East Tennessee as floodwaters overcome a hospital
EAST TENNESSEE (AP) — Patients and their caregivers sought shelter Friday on a Tennessee hospital’s roof after flooding caused by Hurricane Helene drove them from the building’s interior and conditions made rescue efforts difficult.
The dramatic scene at Unicoi County Hospital near the North Carolina border was one of several that played out across the southern U.S. in Helene’s wake, as flooding caused by its storm surge and rain sent thousands of police officers, firefighters, National Guard members and others on rescue missions. Hundreds were saved, but at least 40 died.
Unicoi County Hospital tried to evacuate 11 patients and 43 others Friday morning after the Nolichucky River overflowed its banks and flooded the facility, but the water was too treacherous for boats sent by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The decision was made to take everyone to the roof.
“The water there simply came up faster with more debris than was safe to operate in the rafts to ferry from a dry point back to the hospital,” said Patrick Sheehan, Tennessee’s emergency operations director.
After other helicopters failed to reach the hospital because of the storm’s winds, a Virginia State Police helicopter was able to land on the roof. Three National Guard helicopters with hoist capabilities were on the way, officials said.
“We ask everyone to please pray for the people at Unicoi County Hospital, the first responders on-scene, the military leaders who are actively working to help, and our state leaders,” said Ballad Health, the hospital’s owner, on social media.
Middle Tennessee schools score 2024 National Blue Ribbon for academic excellence
There are a lot of great schools in our area. Congratulations to four schools in the mid-state that were awarded National Blue Ribbons for Academic Execellence. The were among six in Tennessee to receive that honor. They were among 356 schools across the United States to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education!
-Lelan Statom
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