downtown aggravations/questions... (Memphis: crime, live, restaurants)

[bgaviator]

This might come across as just a rant, but I'm just wondering if anyone else feels the same way I do, or can offer more insight to what I've observed lately.

I've lived in Memphis for almost 4 years now. I enjoy taking my family downtown for Redbirds games and to some of the restaurants. I always used to think downtown had a pretty noticeable police presence and never felt unsafe walking around down there. But it seems lately, mostly starting this year that when we go downtown, I am not seeing the police presence as much....and we are getting harassed more by (i assume) homeless people. We even walked past a guy that was being helped out by the fire department who appeared to be passed out and laying in a pool of his own urine inside a doorway of a business. And even once near the stadium, there were some real shady looking dudes on the corner just cussing up a storm and looking up to no good. This was all before the game started, so around 6pm.

Once the game let out, there were tons of cops out then it seemed....but it seemed mostly for traffic control. Although at this point I didn't feel unsafe just due to the sheer number of people on the streets from the game letting out.

I understand Memphis has a police shortage....but I would just think downtown tourism dollars would be a priority, and that the city would want downtown as pristine, crime, and vagrant free as possible. But based on my experiences more and more lately, it's starting to get a little too sketch for my taste.

I guess that leads me to ask something that's been on my mind...
If Memphis seems to never have the funds to have the kind of police presence we need, isn't the state of Tennessee able to provide supplemental funds/resources to shore up the numbers the city needs to get a handle on things? I almost feel like the politicians just ignore what's going on in Memphis and have assumed just let the city fall into a wasteland. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I would think that if the state infused money into helping Memphis fight its crime problem, that it would lead to businesses and more people deciding to move here, thus helping lift the city to be able to stand solidly on its own two feet.

[eastmemphisguy]

First off, policing is a local service and the city wouldn't appreciate too much state involvement in the department, but the state of Tennessee is also not interested in helping Memphis. The state government is run by rural white conservatives who view Memphis as a political threat and an source of shame. To be fair, you do see the dynamic at play between most states and their big cities. There are a few states like New York and Illinois where the city is large enough to exercise some control over the state, but that is not the case in Tennessee.

[PhDnMe]

Downtown just like every other area of the City is short police officers. The downtown officers are running from call to call, very little time, if any for proactive policing, not to mention moral is in the toilet... Secondly, its a local issue not a State issue, so the state would not get involved...

[mattec]

The state will team up with Memphis to do heightened traffic patrols from time to time.

[citizenkane2]

Memphis is a mess