Activists ask Memphis police for more de-escalation training, better mental health resources for officers

Ahead of Monday night's scheduled demonstration, the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, an activist group that focuses on myriad issues including police brutality, have asked for two structural changes from the Memphis Police Department.

The group is one of two major organizers of protests in Memphis over the past several days.

Al Lewis, a retired labor union president and second-generation activist, said the coalition would like to see better mental health resources for law enforcement as well as increased training in de-escalation and intervention skills.

"We understand the job they perform is highly stressful, and they see things most citizens would never even dream of seeing," said Al Mann. "They are humans, but they are not superhumans, and we know that has an impact."

It's not just direct violence that officers are exposed to repeatedly, said Mann. He feels the officers are routinely exposed daily despair on calls to deeply impoverished and under-served areas.

"Even the domestic violence calls police have to respond to can really expose officers to depraved living conditions and horrible stuff," Lewis said. 

For their second demand, the coalition wants to see Memphis police officers receive more de-escalation and mediation training. The coalition said, as it stands, MPD officers receive too little training on effectively de-escalating conflict within their communities and more training on how to effectively communicate with citizens. 

MPD does have a Crisis Intervention Team, which is a specialized unit of more than 200 officers that have training for encounters with citizens suffering from complex mental health issues. Members of the CIT team are available in every police precinct, according to the city.

The Commercial Appeal has reached out to MPD for clarification on how many hours are devoted to de-escalation training. MPD was not able to immediately return the inquiry late Monday afternoon.

The coalition attempted to meet with MPD top brass in November 2018 at the NAACP's regional headquarters on Vance Avenue.

That meeting ended unsuccessfully, Lewis said, when additional police officers showed up alongside MPD command staff, something Lewis said organizers were not expecting.

"They brought in extra security staff without notifying us, as if nine armed officers against seven unarmed activists wasn't enough," Lewis said.

In spite of failed negotiation, Lewis said the coalition still wants MPD to consider their demands.

The coalition has organized another call-to-action for Monday night and is encouraging citizens who want to protest the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd to get in their cars and meet at the I-40 Hernando De Soto Bridge around 7 p.m.

The coalition hopes that the event will be a peaceful demonstration that will amplify their demands and asks. 

Because, Lewis said, it's the system that must change, not just individual officers.

"I don't hate police officers, but I do hate the policing system," Lewis said.