Crime not No. 1 concern among Whitehaven residents, town hall reveals. So, what is?
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Junior hosted a town hall in Whitehaven on Tuesday, and not one constituent asked about crime.
So what are residents worried about in their neighborhoods?
Potholes. Trashy streets. A lack of grocery stores. And potential pollution from Elon Musk’s AI Super Computer facility.
Inside the Guesthouse at Graceland on Tuesday night, Memphians from Whitehaven, Boxtown, Westwood and Coro Lake shared their community concerns.
“What are we going to do with Elon Musk? Probably nothing. That’s a nightmare,” said Oretha Anderson.
“In the 38116… there are potholes the size of my car,” said one woman, as many others nodded in agreement.
And, Patrick O’Neal lamented the lack of quality grocery stores in his area, “It’s really kind of like a food desert compared to what it used to be.”
Commissioner Ford shared District 9 successes with the group.
The old Southwest Twin Drive-In is set to become a $22 million community anchor, similar to what Raleigh did by incorporating a police station and library into the site.
The groundbreaking, said Ford, is in February.
The $10 million Whitehaven High School Stem Lab, no longer delayed by disagreements over money, should be done in 10 months.
The $10 million first phase for widening Holmes Road from Horn Lake East to Tulane is scheduled to start early next year.
Commissioner Ford detailed tens of millions of dollars in economic development projects in the 38116 and the 38109 ZIP codes.
And while no resident specifically asked about crime, MPD top brass were on hand to answer any possible questions.
Commissioner Ford did tell the attendees his district currently has 56 surveillance cameras. He wants to identify half a million more in funding for 75 more cameras.
And, he supports Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s AI camera installation.
“The more cameras, the better. I just want to make sure that it is a pure deterrent to crime because that is one of our challenges,” Ford told Action News 5.
No question was off-limits Tuesday.
Commissioner Ford told his constituents he is term-limited, unable to run for this particular office again. He said he is now laser-focused on helping Whitehaven and the surrounding neighborhoods thrive in 2025.
“As you can see, we’ve gotten almost $70 million in infrastructure and programs put back into the community,” he said, “and in my 22 months left in this term, I plan on making sure that number goes up.”
And finally, Ford provided an update on the construction along Elvis Presley Boulevard – a main road through his district.
He said $9 million is secured for the second phase with the groundbreaking early next year and completion of the project expected to take 24 months.
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