A group of nine religious leaders who were involved in private meetings with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings about police reforms are critical of the reform efforts announced Thursday, June 25, by Strickland and Rallings.

The group of ministers said in a letter issued Friday that the Thursday online press conference from City Hall announcing the moves surprised them.

“We found the discussions to be frustrating and disappointing overall, characterized largely by those who represent the power structures of Memphis claiming that the processes in place are sufficient,” reads the letter signed by the group.

Strickland outlines MPD changes including seeking subpoena power for CLERB

The ministers and religious leaders who signed the dissenting letter are: the Rev. Stacy Spencer, the Rev. Keith Norman, the Rev. Melvin Watkins, the Rev. Earle Fisher, Bishop Ed Stephens Jr., Bishop Linwood Dillard, the Rev. J. Lawrence Turner, the Rev. Chris Davis and the Rev. Gina Stewart.

Strickland and Rallings announced Thursday a set of five reforms the administration will pursue on police reform. They include pushing the Tennessee Legislature to change state laws to give the city’s Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board the authority to subpoena documents and witnesses as it investigates allegations of police misconduct; a change in appeal procedures for police fired for misconduct when the city begins negotiations with the police union next year and an endorsement of “8 Can’t Wait” reforms for police use of force that Rallings said the police department has already adopted.

The nine ministers say the goals “stopped far short of the substantive changes we had requested in calling for a reimagined police department.”

“Though the administration couched these ‘reforms’ as an agreement, we did not, in fact, agree to them,” the letter reads. “Rather, they demonstrated to us the administration’s lack of courage and appetite for making Memphis truly more equitable for all. … What was dressed up for the public yesterday as ‘reform,’ was, in our opinion, reinforcement of the status quo.”

In response, Strickland said: “I share this group of clergy’s disappointment. After meeting with the undersigned group of pastors collectively for about 12 hours over five meetings, they brought no new concrete solutions to the table, unlike the Black Lives Matters Memphis group I met with for one hour earlier this week who brought dozens of written, actionable suggestions.”

Strickland added: “A couple of the listed pastors did make oral recommendations individually, but it was unclear if all the pastors were recommending them, and they were not adopted by the group.” 

The recommendations, according to Strickland, were to ban the use of chokeholds, eliminate officers firing their weapons at a moving vehicle even if the life of the officer was in danger and banning the use of rubber bullets and tear gas.

Strickland met privately with religious leaders four times in a month and Thursday he specifically thanked two leaders of recent protests he highlighted at the outset of the effort – the Rev. DeVante Hill and Frank Gottie.

Neither Hill nor Gottie signed the letter issued Friday and weren’t present at Thursday’s press conference.

Protest and activism grow to include restlessness with local status quo on race

Hill and Gottie are one side of a split among leaders of the recent protests following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Other activists have criticized Hill and Gottie for leading marches that they contend aren’t pressing city government to make substantial police reforms or broader changes.

Hill has at times referred to his critics as “Antifa.”

Spencer is president of the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope that sought a meeting with Strickland before Strickland announced the series of private meetings.

Religious leaders: Police handling of Memphis protests ‘excessive’

Spencer attended one of the private meetings at the invitation of another minister but said later that he would not attend any further meetings with Strickland.

“I think the mayor needs to listen to more people,” Spencer said later of his exit from the process. He also complained Strickland didn’t seem to respect the biracial, ecumenical group.

Strickland said Thursday he wanted to keep the private discussions centered on specific reforms to police policy. He also said he would seek a broader dialogue with more citizens on other issues.