Daily Memphian records request inspires resolution to improve MPD transparency
Councilman Smiley’s proposal comes as communities nationwide push to reform policing following George Floyd killing
Memphis Police officers get in formation along Union Avenue during a May 28 protest over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Marc Perrusquia
Marc Perrusquia is the director of the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis, where graduate students learn investigative and explanatory journalism skills working alongside professionals. He's won numerous state and national awards for government watchdog, social justice and political reporting. Follow the Institute on Facebook or Twitter @psr_memphis.
Memphis City Council member JB Smiley is pushing a resolution to urge Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration to put data, complaints and other information regarding police misconduct and use of force on the city’s website.
Topics
Memphis Police Department Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland JB Smiley Jr. Memphis City Council police brutality police use of force Michael Rallings George Floyd police reportsRelated stories
Mayor vows to fight police brutality, but city blocks records
As Mayor Jim Strickland vows to 'fix' police brutality against African American citizens, his staff puts up roadblocks to accessing records.
Exclusive Investigation: Prosecutors say MPD failed to refer police beating of prisoner for criminal review
The manual search through Memphis Police Department's excessive-force investigations is a slow and tedious process. But a recent search uncovered a file on the 2015 police beating of a suspect that reportedly wasn't referred to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office for review of the officers' conduct.
Strickland, Rallings make new overture on police reform
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings talked about further police reform efforts at a Tuesday briefing that was partially an answer to critics of Strickland's first set of reforms.