Memphis Mayor Paul Young faced a room brimming with concern and determination at the Orange Mound Community Center as part of his 'One Memphis' tour, aiming to connect with and hear directly from the citizens in the wake of a string of violent events rattling the neighborhood. During the Tuesday meeting, emotions ran high as residents discussed public safety in the aftermath of a park mass shooting and a deputy-involved incident that claimed lives, WREG reported.
Residents queried the mayor on several issues, from fighting crime to specific community concerns like blight and youth programs. This town hall followed the mayor's proposed 75-cent property tax increase. Attendees had to navigate through convention-like tables set by city departments before reaching the venue for the sessions. When Mayor Young was asked about the city's 311 being closed between 1-2 p.m. daily, he was caught without an answer but promised swift action, stating, "We will work on that," as detailed by The Commercial Appeal.
Mayor Young and interim Police Chief CJ Davis addressed the recent violence that has left an indelible mark on the community, including an April 20 block party shooting that ended two young lives. According to Action News 5, this particular area, home to Orange Mound, has witnessed nine murders this year alone and continues to struggle with poverty affecting nearly a third of its residents.
Mourning the tragedy, Jennifer Fason, whose son Chalmar Fason was one of the victims fatally shot, called on the mayor and the community for change, emphasizing the need for safety not only in Orange Mound but across Memphis. "Y’all are doing a good job keep it up, don’t fall short they want us to fall back, we not gone fall back we gone keep going forward," Fason told WREG. Mayor Young reinforced his commitment to the people, telling the assembly, "I know it’s painful, but we can not give up on our city. We can not give up on our community."
In tackling the issues at hand, Mayor Young has highlighted the initiatives to provide more community resources, such as game rooms in every community center in the city, as part of the upcoming budget. Authorities are pressing forward to hold culprits accountable, with Chief Davis indicating that the department is combing through community-provided video footage to narrow down the list of suspects involved in the park shooting. "Our teams are working hard to hold those individuals accountable for the harm that they have caused this community," Young asserted via WREG, resonating hope and determination amid the grief.
