Steady decline: What’s driving MPD officers away from the force
Some former officers and recruits who participated in exit interviews didn’t want to leave the department but did for various reasons, from injury to relocation. Others simply retired or said they would consider coming back if certain factors were corrected. (George Walker IV/AP file)
A former Memphis Police Department officer described his old job with a familiar metaphor.
“We’re always chasing our own tail,” Cash Blalock said of his time at MPD.
The former Crump Precinct officer worked for MPD for seven years before leaving in November 2023 for Utah’s Salt Lake City Police Department. That makes Blalock among 76 people who filled out exit interview forms during the recent fiscal year, according to records obtained by The Daily Memphian. The department lost 134 officers in the period, according to the City of Memphis Data Hub.
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Julia Baker
Julia Baker covers Memphis and Shelby County’s law enforcement agencies and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. A lifelong Memphian, Julia graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
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