The AM/DM podcast: How a new MPD position rankled the department
A Memphis Police patch is seen during a news conference Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
In the wake of Tyré Nichols’ death, the Memphis Police Department decided it had an absence of supervision in the field, and set out to fix that problem by creating a new position — the second lieutenant.
But that solution only caused more problems.
When adding the rank of second lieutenant, the department didn’t get the police association’s consent first. The result was a more than year-long legal battle that made its way just shy of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court recently decided not to review the City of Memphis’ appeal regarding the lawsuit, which would end the lawsuit — but the City has now asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider.
At the heart of this conflict are 100-plus police officers who could be demoted. Today, editorial director Mary Cashiola and enterprise reporter Sam Hardiman try to sort through the situation.
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Topics
AM/DMMary Cashiola
Mary Cashiola has been a Memphis journalist for nearly two decades, beginning her career covering city government and local neighborhoods at the Memphis Flyer before being hired by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s administration.
Before joining The Daily Memphian, she was the managing editor of the Memphis Business Journal, which was named one of the top 10 Best Designed Newspapers in the world by the Society of News Design while she was there.
She also has a background in advertising, with a focus on higher education and the hospitality industry.
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