MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Enough is enough. That's what Memphis Mayor A C Wharton is saying after the most recent arrest of a Memphis police officer.
Six year MPD vet Cornelius Monger, 33, is accused of raping a female relative. Memphis city leaders are fed up and determined to find ways to keep the criminals, crooks and creeps out of the MPD.
Mayor Wharton and the city council say they have a plan they hope will put an end to the trend.
"There comes a point in time where the public will no longer allow me to say, quote, 'please keep in mind this represents one of 2400 officers. The vast majority of our police officers show up and do a good job,' close quote."
Mayor Wharton understands that Memphians are getting tired of hearing about Memphis police officers getting arrested. "There comes a point in time in which I can't just keep saying that and I think we've reached that point."
Wharton says the point was reached after the arrest of Cornelius Monger, who was charged with rape, statutory rape by an authority figure and incest after a female relative said the cop sexually assaulted her.
"We need to deal harshly and swiftly with these bad apples that are giving the thousands of men and women in blue a bad name," Wharton said.
Memphis City Councilman Kemp Conrad said, "There's no doubt that police officers are under much different stresses than we are," but he adds that's no excuse for officers to break the law. "It needs to stop and we can do something about it."
Conrad proposes an incentive program to "give people bonuses for good performance and swiftly deal with bad performance and bad actors."
"Employees can do a lot of things, can do bad things and they don't get reprimanded they get a slap on the wrist, they don't get fired," he said. "What we need to do is get stricter and better management of our people."
Conrad says he plans to present his proposals when the city council meets on Tuesday.
