DA Mulroy holds community town hall meeting in Whitehaven

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — District Attorney Steve Mulroy addressed a crowd of at least 100 Whitehaven residents Wednesday at the Southbrook Mall about their concerns involving crime and how his office will aim to address them.

Some of the residents say it was a productive conversation and they’re hopeful for the future. But it will come down to action being done before they feel safe in our city again.

Mulroy promised them that making Memphis and Shelby County safer is his top priority.

“We absolutely deserve to feel safe at night going to pump gas, and the fact that we don’t is unacceptable,” Mulroy said.

Steve Mulroy reflects on his first year as District Attorney of Shelby County

Residents had the chance to ask questions and they covered a wide range of topics. Among the biggest concerns is bail, and why so many people are walking free after committing crimes.

In Tennessee, Mulroy explained that the only people who can be denied bail are those facing death row penalty charges which makes the bail conversation more complicated.

“A judge does have discretion to set the bond so high that they can’t afford it and that they are effectively kept in jail, but that’s really up to the judge,” Mulroy said.

People also asked about gun laws and how they could contribute to safety in Shelby County.

Mulroy says he hopes to see the open carry law amended because he believes it’s a factor in the violence in our county.

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“There have been talks about passing a local option law that would allow individual counties to opt out permitless carry,” Mulroy said. “Problems that they have in middle Tennessee are just not the same as Memphis.”

Mulroy also discussed other initiatives his office already has underway such as treatment programs for inmates, speedier trials, and deciding which cases need to be heard first.

“The most public safety threatening violent or violent associated crimes, working hard to prioritize those,” he said.

This town hall meeting was the first of the year and the third of its kind. DA Mulroy says he plans to hold more in other communities moving forward.

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