MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong just unveiled his plan to make the MPD operate more effectively. It centers on changing the boundaries of police precincts.
Armstrong says it will allow the department to better use their resources.
"As it stands right now we are basically a reactive police department which means because of call volume we react to those calls," he said. "We can't have a reduction in crime if we are not a proactive police department."
So Director Armstrong has come up with a way to let officer be proactive. By changing the boundaries of the precincts, Armstrong says the call load will be more evenly distributed across the city.
Right now officers only have time to run from call to call, crime scene to crime scene.
"Very seldom do you see them in a proactive mode, or patrolman mode. They are either in route to a call or clearing a call."
Armstrong hopes by changing the way the precincts are aligned, officers will have more time to spend working the streets doing community policing. Hopefully that means in the future, Memphis will be a safer community.
Some of the precincts will be made larger, others smaller. This plan goes into effect January 1st.
