Memphis Police Department Combines Traditional and Unconventional Surveillance to Keep the City Safe
By virtually any account, Memphis is a storied city with a fascinating history. Situated along the Mississippi River, it is a major port area for the United States and home to the fifth-largest inland port in the country. It is home to iconic American sites such as Beale Street, the hub of the Memphis’ blues scene and where artists like Louis Armstrong and B.B. King helped to develop and define the Memphis Blues sound. It is home to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s mansion-turned-museum and final resting place. Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated there. Racial and social tensions, along with the ebbs and flows of immigration, politics, and urbanization, have helped to shape Memphis into the city it is today.
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) has a vision to create and maintain an environment of public safety “with focused attention on preventing and reducing crime.” Video surveillance has played a key role in having this vision come to fruition. It started in 2007, when MPD began considering ways to further protect the city’s critical infrastructure assets, including the port area and other commercial hubs, which could be potential targets if the city were to come under attack.