Tracking the money: Nashville, Atlanta outpacing Memphis in federal dollars to fight crime
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In 2023, Nashville brought in nearly 7 times more money in federal public safety grants than Memphis.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Action News 5 is taking a closer look into the federal response to fighting crime in Memphis, following last week’s launch of the new Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement for Memphis and Shelby County.
Memphis and Shelby County join more than 30 other metropolitan areas across the country with new safety and engagement offices within the past three years.
White House officials with the Office of Gun Violence and Prevention point to cities like Boston and Baltimore taking a strategic approach to lower crime.
However, the turnaround costs money, and Memphis is coming up short.
The Deputy Director of the White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Gregory Jackson, says there are three keys to making sure the Memphis and Shelby County crime prevention endeavor is successful.
Jackson says it is important to use data to access the problem, use best practices used in other cities and secure as much money as possible through federal public safety grants.
“Unfortunately, federal funding takes time. You can apply for something now and you may not see it until next summer,” said Jackson.
That is, if we see it at all.
For example, last year Tennessee was awarded $94 million in federal public safety grants from the Department of Justice.
Nashville received $69 million.
Memphis, with the highest crime rate in the state, brought in just $7 million.
“A lot of that can be concluded by the fact we haven’t had our efforts aligned. We haven’t spoken with one voice,” said Mayor Paul Young during Thursday’s press conference.
Jackson believes the Joint Office of Neighborhood of Safety and Engagement will amplify that voice at a time of urgent need.
Action News 5 asked Jackson if he thinks the crime situation in Memphis is different than other cities.
“I think here you have, unfortunately, a culture that has amplified some of the violence that has happened, especially with some of the high-profile losses that we’ve suffered, and I think what that does is that ripples the trauma,” said Jackson.
Jackson is referring to the number of crimes in Memphis that often make international headlines such as the murder of Memphis Rapper Young Dolph and Tyre Nichols.
“I think what we have to think about, losing a high-profile member is equivalent to a mass shooting in another community where not just that family is impacted but an entire neighborhood and that entire community is impacted,” said Jackson.
“That requires some real treatment. That means mental health support, that means victim services, that means trauma care, and grief counseling,” said Jackson.
Jackson says the city needs money to make those things happen, but Memphis is simply not getting the public safety funds to help them do it like other cities.
Jackson says since 2021, Atlanta has received $420 million for public safety grants. Memphis received just $21 million.
There are no predictions on how a new White House administration will fund future crime prevention efforts, but Jackson says $15 billion is already set in stone by law.
City leaders say they hope opening a new joint office to focus on safety will set them on the right track to bring that money back to the Bluff City.
Action News 5 asked newly re-elected Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn on what her priorities will be for fighting crime in Memphis.
Blackburn said in part:
“To combat violent crime, we must fund, not defund, the police, end soft-on-crime initiatives like cashless bail, and keep violent criminals behind bars. That is why I’ve introduced bills like the Restoring Law and Order Act, the Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act, and the AFTER SCHOOL Act to increase resources for law enforcement, deter policies that reward criminals, and prevent juvenile violent crime.”
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