MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Mayor Paul Young, partnering with the African American Mayors Association, is launching a new coalition to fight crime across the nation, the city announced Tuesday morning.
The Black Mayors' Coalition on Crime (BMCC) is an initiative to use the power of Black mayors to address crime.
Mayors will have an inaugural meeting in Memphis on March 27-28, hosting 21 mayors and their proxies from Washington D.C., Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Arizona, California and North Carolina.
“For the first time in history, we have an unprecedented number of black mayors in some of our biggest cities: Mayor Adams in New York City, Mayor Bass in Los Angeles, and Mayor Johnson in Chicago, to name a few,” said Young in a press release, “not to mention hundreds of others, like myself who represent millions of Americans in small-to-medium and large-sized cities across the country. Many of these leaders come from the communities most affected by crime, so they have a unique perspective on solving it.”
Young is receiving support from mayors of major cities, such as New York City and Los Angeles.
“Across our great and diverse country, there’s one thing that every city has in common: public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity,” said New York City Mayor Adams in the press release. “As a former police officer, I know firsthand that public safety is not just about keeping people safe — it is also about making sure people feel safe. I applaud Mayor Young for convening the Black Mayors Coalition on Crime to have an honest conversation around protecting our cities and delivering peace of mind at a time when our communities need it most.”
Young said the BMCC is open to anyone who can help solve the issue of crime. A recent Gallup poll of Americans records that worry about crime in the nation is at its highest since 2016, according to the press release.
The two-day meeting include a keynote on crime trends and perspectives in the U.S. by the Council on Criminal Justice. Additionally, cities will provide case studies on successful crime-fighting initiatives.