This Wednesday, 3PM, MPD Headquarters (170 N Main), join us as we stand with MSPJC member, Reginald Johnson, who has been patiently and persistently seeking answers after MPD labeled him as a “hazard.”
We’ve been telling you for weeks about MPD’s practice of placing “hazard indicators” on people’s home addresses without notification or due process for appeal. MSPJC member, Reginald Johnson discovered that his home was placed “in the hazard” after he filed a complaint against officers who unlawfully entered his home, beat and arrested him in 2016. MPD has admitted to using the practice, but both MPD Director Rallings and Mayor Jim Strickland have refused to answer this simple YES-or-NO question:
“Does MPD have a policy on their practice of using hazard categorizations?”
If they don’t, then they SHOULD–and if they do, they should release the policy to the public so we can put this issue to rest and get Mr. Johnson the peace he deserves.
What is a HAZARD?
Good question, and one that would better answered in writing by MPD and the Mayor’s administration, but as we understand it, the practical purpose is for dispatch to be able to provide responding officers with information about potentially dangerous situations at a differnet locations, which makes sense in theory, but without a detailed policy to govern this practice, it has great potential for misuse. We believe that in this case, the indicator was placed on Mr. Johnson’s home as a form of extrajudicial retaliation after he filed a complaint against officers for excessive force.
What we’re asking for:
(1) MPD release an official written memo stating that any hazard categorization be lifted from Reginald Johnson’s name and home address.
(2) If there is a policy outlining the process and criteria for MPD’s use of hazard indicators, it should be made available to the public so that those accused have recourse.
In the meantime, contact your officials, amplify our demands:
Mayor Strickland: jim.strickland@memphistn.gov, (901) 636-6000
MPD Director Rallings: Michael.Rallings@memphistn.gov