June 2016

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This week, Memphis United mailed 176 letters to people the City of Memphis referred to the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board between 2011 and 2013 — when the board did not exist.

There are more individuals who we will contact in the coming weeks. These individuals are part of a larger “backlog” of people the city referred to a nonexistent board. All of these people deserve a fair shot at justice. That means having a CLERB with the power to hold law enforcement accountable; that means subpoena power.

Last year, Memphis United won our campaign to reinstate the board and strengthen it with a subpoena process. But now the subpoena process is in danger of being removed through a substitute ordinance by Councilman Worth Morgan.

We’re asking people to contact their City Council representatives — in particularDistrict 5 Councilman Worth Morgan, Worth.Morgan@memphistn.gov, (901) 636-6786) — and tell them that taking the time to understand the language of the ordinance is worth it to ensure that CLERB has the power to hold law enforcement accountable.

Memphis United is MSPJC’s criminal justice reform project. Our victories include the reinstatement of a civilian law enforcement review board. But we need your help. Please click here to sustain our work toward law enforcement accountability.

City council got a standing ovation for unanimous approval of the fy 2017 operating and capital budget, which includes $7.5 million increase for MATA.

This additional funding will help add new buses to the system and prevent further service cuts! We’ve never seen a budget approved so quickly.

Thank you all for your emails and phone calls and meetings with Mayor Stricland and the City Council. A special thank you to the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 713, The Memphis Advisory Council For People With Disabilities, the Memphis Transportation Advisory Committee, Innovate Memphis, and the Sierra Club and Lifeline to Success for pushing this issue into the spotlight, and thank you Councilmembers Edmund Ford Jr., Berlin Boyd, Martavius Jones, Janis Fullilove and Mayor Jim Strickland for showing critical support for our public transit system.

This is a good temporary fix that will stave off cuts to service. However, we must continue as a city to push for increased funding from all levels of government to ensure that public transit works for all who need it.

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Memphis United contacts CLERB complainants

Victory! Millions for MATA Buses and Services

Archives for June 2016