Memphis City Council members kicked off a discussion of residency requirements for first responders – not to mention Memphis Police Department leadership – during the Tuesday, July 9 executive meeting.
The talk was prompted by the resignation of Assistant Deputy Chief Shawn Jones. The MPD’s second-in-command departed from the department on Monday, July 8, after an accumulation of disclosures surrounding his residency.
“Assistant Chief Jones did have an apartment in Memphis. So, he lived in Memphis, but he also had a home in Atlanta, where his wife lived…He went home periodically. Clearly, he voted there. But that did not drive the decision we made to move on. We made that decision on what we felt was best for the department. I’ll leave that one at that…,” said City of Memphis Mayor Paul Young.
Like MPD policy, Tennessee state law permits first responders to live within two hours of the community they serve. The distance between Atlanta and Memphis is nearly 400 miles. By car, the trek amounts to around a six-hour drive.
“The idea that the number two person, that Chief Davis said over and over again she relied heavily on, could not be here within two hours, is problematic in my opinion. Even if it’s not illegal, or against policy at this point. It’s problematic, because we need people to be able to be here and respond in real time…That’s what I heard over and over again,” said Councilwoman Jerri Green. “I don’t know if we still, or ever will, have a clear picture of how much time was spent here, versus in Georgia.”
Young defended Jones’ job performance, saying he saw the former officer on the scene when responding to “a lot of tragic events.”
“When I’ve shown up with MPD, Chief Davis…A.C. Jones was there. I know that he has been showing up…When I showed up, I saw him,” defended Young.
State law was loosened to allow officer-starved police departments to cast a wider net to draw-in recruits. The MPD currently has a complement of around 1,940 officers. It’s goal is to reach between 2,200 – 2,300 officers.
The wording of the law – according to the interpretation of Mayor Paul Young’s administration – provides a lof of leeway for the “two-hour” requirement.
“You can’t take any adverse employment action against a first responder, regardless of where they reside…The department can implement a response time requirement. So, you have to be able to respond within two hours,” said Attorney Tannera Gibson. “The statute permits that. Otherwise, the way the statute is written, you can live in California.”
One member blamed the media for stoking a non-issue into a scandal.
“Blackballing Black people needs to stop. This is the same crap that killed MLK. Your lies. Your personal agendas. The Memphis Police Department has a job to do. We got enough violence. We got enough behind the scenes stuff going on. We need to try to work together. The man is gone now. He’s gone. What is this discussion about? The attorney has given us what the state law is,” said Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton.
Jones was hired by interim MPD Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis on Sept. 13, 2021. At the time, MPD’s compliancy window for residency extended six-months. Both were previously employed by the Atlanta Police Department.
The state law was signed by Governor Bill Lee on May 24, 2022.
“By our calculations, the bill was passed during that time period…six months and 11 days after he started,” defended Gibson.
Nevertheless, state law and public perception are two different things. Jones continued to lose standing locally with each report.
“I know some things we allow the administration to deal with. But sometimes, certain things rise to the point where council members need to voice their concerns, as it relates to a particular item,” said Council Chair JB Smiley. “This is an opportunity for us to discuss what transpired and where we are with MPD.”
Even so, no members of the MPD attended the afternoon meeting.
“The fact that we’re talking about MPD policy and procedures and I look out into this room, I do not see the Memphis Police Department here…bothered by that…,” said Smiley.
Relevant Links: https://tri-statedefender.com/residency-for-police-firefighters-headed-back-to-memphis-city-council/01/30/
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