Memphis City Councilman (R) Frank Colvett Jr. tells “Wake Up Memphis” with Robyn Walensky he helped facilitate a delay in the vote on changing 201 Poplar to 201 Black Lives Matter Avenue.
“They had the votes walking in,” Colvett says of those in favor of the name change.The main topics of the meeting included the street name change and how to improve safety in the city.
“We got it at least delayed for the committee to research and review the proposal,” he tells ‘Wake Up Memphis.’
The meeting lasted from 8 am until 6 pm.
“We’re going to go to committee and we’re going to be able to examine this whole idea of ‘Black Lives Matter,’ this organization,” Colvett tells Walensky.In regards to the other big topic discussed at the meeting, the councilman says the city is in urgent need of more police officers.
“We’re at 2,000 right now,” he says. “Experts were telling us we should have between 2,300 and 2,400 police officers.”
The number needed has increased because crime in Memphis is on the rise.“We now need 2,700 to 2,800 if you are to achieve the community policing everybody wants,” Colvett says.
Instead of the idea being floated in some cities of defunding police departments, the Memphis councilman wants “more” money allocated to the police department for recruitment.
“Let’s go back to what keeps us safe: police officers,” Colvett tells Walensky.
