The document provides a historical overview of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) from its establishment in 1827 through 2010. It details the development of the MPD over time, including early challenges with corruption and lack of standards, the formation of police unions, and national developments that professionalized law enforcement. Key events for the MPD included dealing with the Civil War, yellow fever epidemics, the civil rights movement, and challenges with understaffing and funding cuts. The overview highlights improvements in training, technology, and community policing approaches over the decades.

1. MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
A Historical Overview of the MPD
1827-2010

2. 1800’s
• Difficult time for law
enforcement
• No employment standards
• Extortion, drinking &
assaults were commonplace
• Political friendships
• State/Federal agencies were
being developed
GENERAL HISTORY

3. 1900’s
• Unions were forming
• August Vollmer
established a law
enforcement training
school at the University
of California
GENERAL HISTORY

4. 1920’s:
• Social unrest was occurring
• Volstead Act
• Hoover & the F.B.I.
• Corruption
GENERAL HISTORY

5. 1930’s:
• F.B.I. Academy
was founded
• George-Dean Act
was created
GENERAL HISTORY

6. 1940’s & 1950’s:
• Mediocre leadership
• Police unions became
more popular
• P.O.S.T. Commission
was formed
Peace Officer Standards
& Training (P.O.S.T.)
GENERAL HISTORY

7. 1960’s:
• Vietnam protests
• President’s
Commission on Law
Enforcement
• NCIC developed
• National Crime
Information Center
GENERAL HISTORY

8. MEMPHIS HISTORY

9. MEMPHIS HISTORY
Memphis Police Department was
established May 12, 1827
First Town Constable was
John J. Balch

11. MEMPHIS HISTORY
PIONEER DAYS
1839 - Drafted “police laws”
1839 - First police station
1845 - The department consisted
of two (2) patrolmen (1-day
shift, 1-night shift)
1840 – Police carried a big rattle
1841 - First disciplinary action
1852 - Officers were given badges

12. MEMPHIS HISTORY
CIVIL WAR
1861 - Many patrolmen enlisted in
the Confederate Army
1862 - The city was captured by
federal troops
1865 - The city government was returned to the citizens and a new
and more efficient police force was organized

13. MEMPHIS HISTORY
CIVIL WAR
1866 - 4,000 Troops were discharged
and the government refused to
remove them from the city. Clashes &
riots occurred between the
discharged troops & the laboring
population
1870’s - First black officers were
hired

14. MEMPHIS HISTORY
RECONSTRUCTION ERA
“Carpet Bag” government
City charter/powers were repealed
State organization force
No law enforcement
Criminals were not prosecuted, there
was complete lawlessness throughout
the city

15. MEMPHIS HISTORY
YELLOW FEVER YEARS
Chief of Police - Phil R. Athy
Memphis Police Department started to
gain respect
1874 – Memphis Police Department attempted
to become more diversified

16. MEMPHIS HISTORY
YELLOW FEVER YEARS
The police force was honored by the
city council in 1878 for “remaining on
duty” during the epidemic when most
well bodied individuals fled Memphis.
This was one of the noblest and
proudest moments of
the Memphis Police Department –
of the 55-man force, 50 were stricken
with the fever, and 10 died.

17. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1890’s
Patrol wagons were used
for arrestees
Wooden cells were replaced
with metal cells
Call system was put in place

18. MEMPHIS HISTORY
TURN OF THE CENTURY
1900 - the Department went to 8 hour shifts
1908 - Bicycle patrol was formed
1910 - 2 motorized vehicles purchased
1911 - Mounted patrol was formed
1915 - Emergency car system
1919 - Use of “dog policemen”

19. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1920’s – The MPD riot car also called the “night hawk.”

20. MEMPHIS HISTORY
ROARING 20’s AND 30’s
1921 - First Pursuit vehicle purchased
1932 - Murder capital of the world
1933 - “Machinegun” Kelly was arrested
1937 - First Memphis Police School

21. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1940’ s
1940 - Riot squad was formed
Many officers left for war
1941 - Indoor pistol range built
1948 - The Department had
471 total personnel and the
work week was reduced from
48 hours to 40 hours

22. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1948 – First Class of African American Graduates of the Memphis
Police Training Academy

23. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1950’s
1951- Officers had a monthly salary of approximately $180 monthly
1954 – The MPD had 471 personnel, 83 cars, 22 motorcycles & three patrol
wagons

24. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1950’s
1956 - Short sleeves were allowed
1958 - The Claude A. Armour Fire
& Police Training Building is
opened
Training was increased from 2 to 4
weeks
The first female officers were hired
1959 - Training increased to 5
weeks

25. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1960’s
1960 - C-45 aircraft was
purchased for the department
The Emergency Squad was
formed which contained 15
experienced and specially trained
officers
1961 - Recruit training was
increased to 7 weeks
1962 – Dog Squad was formed
after the death of Patrol Officer
Frank Bruno

26. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1964 – First integrated academy class

27. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1960’s
1964 – Top patrolman salary was $440
a month
1966 - Patrol cars were desegregated
Civil rights movement began
1968 - Assassination of Dr. King
Vietnam protests
Frank C. Holloman became the first
Director of Fire and Police

28. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1970’s
1970 - Females were allowed
to join the male classes
Shifts for all officers changed
every 28 days
1973 – Metro DWI was formed
(6 officers) and the helicopter unit
became Metro Aviation

29. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1970’s
1973 – The Afro-American Police
Association was formed, and the
Memphis Police Association was
formed
1975 - First 1-woman patrol car
1975- The first policy and regulations
manual since 1961 was distributed
to all officers

30. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1970’s
1976 – TACT Squad is formed
after the death of Patrolman
David Clark and four others by
an armed gunman

31. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1970’s
1977 – Patrolman McCord
Springfield is killed
1978 - Police officers went on
strike
1979 – Forty-nine recruits
graduate after 15 weeks of
training which is 4 more weeks
than the previous classes

32. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
1981- Crime Stoppers Program was
initiated
1982 - Solid white patrol cars were used
1982 – The department moved into the
Criminal Justice Center
1982 - Mounted Patrol was reinstituted
1983 - The command structure was
realignedOfficer Jim Pickens and his horse, Lucky.

33. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
1983 - Shannon Street Incident
Officer Robert “Bobby” Hester

34. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
1984 – Police Service Technician program begins

35. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
1984 - The Department started
operating four shifts to reduce
response time during peak hours.
The Delta Shift was implemented
1988 – The John D. Holt Training
Academy opens
First black police director is
appointed – James E. Ivy

36. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
1988 - The Crisis Intervention Team
was formed to respond to calls for
assistance involving the mentally ill.
Known internationally as the
“Memphis Model”
The Police Memorial Committee was
formed, and the first Police Memorial
Service was held

37. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
1988 - Police Officer Jane T. Martin
completed specialized training and
went to work in the Dog Squad as
its first female officer
Police Officer Dawn Anishanslin
completed specialized training and
became the first female TACT
Squad memberTACT Officers Ben Stradford, Kenny Carlton,
Dawn Anishanslin and Tim Helldorfer

38. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1980’s
The Violent Crimes Squad was split into
Homicide and Robbery
The MPD withdrew from the 17-year old
Metro Narcotics Squad
Rank titles for all officers with the title
Patrol Officer III, Investigator I, and Police
Technician were changed

39. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1990’s
First Recruit Class is trained with the
9 MM pistol
The Emergency Vehicle Operation
Course began operation at
the Training Academy
In 1994, the COACT Unit was created
and assigned to the Orange-
Mound/Binghamton area to initiate
new Community Policing Program.
This program was expanded to
Mississippi/Walker in the fall.

40. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1990’s
Computerization of the Memphis
Police Department begins in
the Robbery Squad
The Violent Crimes Squad was split
into Homicide and Robbery
Seventy-five recruits graduate from
the Training Academy as the largest
class in MPD history
Sergeants Eddie Cash, Doug Swauncy,
Bubba Shemwell and A. J. Christian

41. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1990’s
The Field Training
Officer Program was
implemented in all six
precincts
KKK Rally downtown
receives national
attention

42. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1990’s
1993 - The Downtown Precinct was
created and designated the
Sixth Precinct
1994 - The MPD was reorganized
in January
D.A.R.E. is launched in the
Memphis City Schools with eight
officers and 800 children Officers Jim Richardson and Glenda Bowie

43. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1990’s
1997 – The MPD’s web site was
launched –
www.memphispolice.org
1998 - Brenda Jones became
the first female officer to be
named deputy chief in the
history of the MPD
Deputy Chief Brenda Jones with
Police Director Walter Winfrey

44. MEMPHIS HISTORY
1990’s
The Southeast Precinct opened in
July 1998 at the old Defense Depot
on Airways at 2245 Truitt, and
became the city’s seventh precinct
The Sage SL-6 27mm L3AOS is
implemented after CIT and Tact
Officers receive training in its use
Sgt. Ross Proctor

45. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
The Northeast Precinct opened in
the Spring of 2000
The MPD initiated an effort
to improve communications
with the growing Hispanic
community in Memphis by
creating a departmental
Latino Liaison
Northeast Precinct is now known as Appling Farms Station

46. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2003 - In January, 246 police
officers are promoted to the
rank of sergeant - the largest
promotional process in MPD history
2003 - The Central Precinct moves
to a new state-of-the-art facility at
426 Tillman in July
Central Precinct is now known as Tillman Station

47. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
The Fraud & Document Unit
changes its name to Economic
Crimes Bureau
In 2003, Deputy Chief Mary Wright
joined Deputy Chief Janice Pilot to
command the entire 1,400-member
uniform patrol force Deputy Chiefs Mary Wright, Larry Godwin and Janice Pilot

48. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2005 - the “Paperless Reporting
Project” was completed.
Felony Assault Unit was launched in
June
In response to homeland security
needs the MPD created the Memphis
Police Department’s own Office of
Homeland Security

49. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2005 - Operation Blue C.R.U.S.H. was
launched by Director Larry Godwin in
the fall of 2005 through a partnership
with Dr. Richard Janikowski and the
University of Memphis.
Blue C.R.U.S.H. - Crime Reduction
Utilizing Statistical History

50. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2006 - a new unit called the Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT) was
created in the fall and operated under the umbrella of OCU

51. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2006 – The Undercover Program was resurrected by Director Godwin in
order to infiltrate and address gangs, guns and drugs

52. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2006 - Patrol Rifles were introduced
to uniform patrol
2007 - the name of each precinct was
changed to better relate and identify
the areas served
Opened the new Ridgeway Station
Precinct and the new Dog Squad
office

53. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2007 - Operation Blue CRUSH crime analysis process was
set up to involve MPD Comp Stat, the University of Memphis
Center for Community Criminology and Research, Uniform Patrol,
Investigative Services, and the Organized Crime Unit
2007 - MPD received national accreditation from the Commission on
Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
MPD placed in the top ten of large departments with
a completion of 394 out of 400 standards

54. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2007 – The Organized Crime Unit
closed 8 houses in July under nuisance
actions with the support of the Attorney
General’s office.
2008 - License Plate Readers,
SkyWatch Towers and SkyCops were
introduced to augment the RTCC’s
technological functions and to assist
with Blue CRUSH™ activities

55. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
The MPD received $2.1
million in grants as well as
Council approval of $1.5
million to build and
implement a new
high-tech investigative tool
called the Real
Time Crime Center.
The RTCC opened in April
of 2008

56. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
The Memphis Police Foundation was
formed in May 2008, as a 501(C)(3)
non-profit organization, to provide
private sector support to our police
department and contribute to the
development of an innovative,
technologically advanced police force
optimally engaged with the community it
serves.

57. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
On November 3, 2008 Memphis Police
Director Larry Godwin entered in to a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Regional Counter Drug Training
Academy (RCTA) in Meridian, MS
agreeing that members of the Organized
Crime Undercover Operations Unit would
teach a two week highly intensive pass/fail
course.

58. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2009 - Seventy LPR vehicles and 40 fixed LPR Units were placed into
operation in 2009.

59. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
The MPD's Real Time Crime Center
was recognized in 2009 for Excellence
in Law Enforcement Communications
and Interoperability.
Officer Essica Littlejohn with
Police Director Larry Godwin

60. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2010 - The Memphis Police Department was recognized in New
Orleans in July during the Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference.

61. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2010 - The Memphis Police Department received a national award from
Nucleus Research on July 21st

62. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2010 – Since the inception of the Nuisance Closures initiative the
Memphis Police Department and OCU along with Attorney General Bill
Gibbons have closed over 270 houses and businesses under nuisance
closures petitions.

63. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
To start 2011 The Memphis Police
Department recorded a record 26%
drop in overall crime in the last four
years.
There were 93 homicides in the city of
Memphis in 2010, the lowest murder
rate in 30 years.

64. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2011 - 3,000 Offender Tracking
Bracelets for support of the criminal
justice system in six counties in
Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas;
will be activated

65. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2011 – July 3, 2011 Officer Timothy Warren was shot and killed in the Line Of
Duty after responding to a domestic dispute and shooting at the DoubleTree
Hotel at Union and B.B. King.

66. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2011
• 4.6% reduction in pay
• Director Larry Godwin retires.
Deputy Director Toney Armstrong is appointed to replace him.

67. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2012 – Citizens’ Dispute moved to the Family Safety Center at 1750
Madison.

68. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2012 – Officer Martoya Lang was shot and killed in the line of duty as she and
another officer served a narcotics search warrant at a home on Mendenhall
Court on December 12, 2012

69. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2013
• The precinct boundaries were modified
• The first four officers graduated from MFD’s EMT training program
• A KKK rally was held in Memphis with no negative results

70. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2013 – OCU seized one ton of marijuana in a single seizure

71. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2014 – 552 officers call in sick during the Blue Flu to protest benefit cuts
made by city government.

72. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2015 – Officer Sean Bolton was shot and killed in the line of duty when he
interrupted a drug deal near the intersection of Cottonwood and Perkins Roads.

73. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016 – Director Toney Armstrong retires. Deputy Chief Michael Rallings
is appointed to the position of interim director.

74. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016 – Grand Opening of North Main Station Precinct at 444 North Main
Street in February.

75. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016 – Officer Verdell Smith was killed in the line of duty on June 4, 2016; he
was promoted to sergeant posthumously.

76. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016
• The Department of Justice began a review of the Memphis
Police Department’s policies
• Protesters blocked the I-40 Bridge

77. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016 – Rallings is appointed Director in August 2016 at the conclusion of
a national search.

78. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016
• In 2016, the Memphis Police Department issued body-worn cameras
to officers. One thousand eight hundred thirty (1,830)
body-worn cameras were issued as one of the most extensive
implementations of body-worn cameras in the nation

79. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016
• Also, in 2016, the Memphis Police Department installed In-Car Video
Systems in marked squad cars.

80. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2016
• The Darrius Stewart shooting occurred
• The Police Service Technician Program was reinstated
• The Memphis Police Department responded to a record number of
homicides, 228

81. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2017
• In January 2017, the Memphis Police Department created the Violent Crime
Unit (VCU) utilizing experienced investigators to provide support to various
units within the department and to
positively impact the investigations of individuals
committing violent crimes by bringing them to
justice.

82. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2017
• The Blue Path Program was initiated

83. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2017
• In June of 2017, after being housed at 201 Poplar for thirty-seven (37) years,
the Memphis Police Department moved its headquarters to a newly renovated
eighty-four thousand (84,000) square foot space in the old state building at
170 North Main Street.

84. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2017
• The Department of Justice’s review of the Memphis Police
Department was terminated by Jeff Sessions
• Officers successfully kept the peace during the removal of the
Confederate statues

85. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2018
• In January of 2018, the Emergency Communications
Bureau relocated from a call center, dating back to the 1980s
at 201 Poplar Avenue, to a new state-of-the-art facility located at 79 South
Flicker Street.

86. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2018
• The college requirement for recruitment was changed from the time to hire to
four years after the applicant has been hired.
• Patrol officers began to be issued Narcan

87. MEMPHIS HISTORY
2000’s
2018
• In 2018 Memphis celebrated the weeklong commemoration of the fiftieth
(50th) anniversary of the sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event,
known as MLK50, put Memphis on the world stage with visitors, dignitaries,
and media personalities from around the world. More than seven thousand
(7,000) participants attended to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. without any
problems. Over three hundred (300) Memphis Police Officers, Police Service
Technicians, and police recruits ensured the safety of all who attended.

88. MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
A Historical Overview of the MPD
1827-2019
Compiled by the Memphis Police Academy Staff,
MPD Research & Development Unit, and the Public Information Office