Political analyst Otis Sanford says that while Memphis' Black communities are still skeptical of over-policing, the mayor has the majority's support in his calls for more police funding.
But many law enforcement agencies link the rise in Memphis' gun violence to state laws that precipitated a flood of stolen guns here. As the Democratic mayor appeals to the Republican-led legislature for help, tougher sentencing laws may be his only proposal to get traction, and Sanford says that could reverse some of the criminal justice reforms designed to reduce the populations of state prisons.
Finally, Strickland also addressed the Shelby County Juvenile Court, which he says has been a "revolving door" for youthful offenders.
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