MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After a mass shooting at a block party in Orange Mound left two people dead and seven others injured, many across Memphis are seeking solutions on how to curb the violence across the city.
Memphis Police said that deadly shooting happened the night of April 20, 2024, at a block party which was held without a permit at Orange Mound Park, and as many as 300 people were in attendance.
Do you need a permit for a party?
There are permit requirements for gatherings at Memphis Parks, so here’s what you need to know if you wish to host a gathering at one of the 162 parks that fall under the city’s purview.
- According to Memphis Municipal Code Chapter 12-52, any gathering of more than 25 people at a city park requires a ‘public assembly permit.’
- If you wish to rent a pavilion, park, or greenspace for an event, regardless of the number of people attending, you must fill out a rental application and pay a fee. That can be done online through the Memphis Parks’ Reserve a Park portal at https://parkreservation.memphistn.gov/#/ or call 901-636-4200.
- If you want to charge admission or host vendors or food trucks, you will need to speak with parks officials first. You can call 901-636-4200 for information.
“It is our job to keep the parks usable for all. Unpermitted or unsanctioned events in any of our Memphis parks will be disbanded and participants will be required to leave,” said an announcement from the Parks division.
Memphis Police safety measures
Memphis Police are also looking to crack down on unpermitted events. MPD said staffing at the permits office will be increased and they want to have inspections at the spots where permitted events are planned. The goal is make sure more eyes are on large gatherings that could be masked as community block parties.
“That [Orange Mound] incident put community members at risk, children at risk. And the brazen display of weaponry on these particular types of scenes is just alarming,” Interim MPD Chief CJ Davis told the Memphis City Council.
MPD said they are also working to station more officers at community centers to increase visibility in the afternoons. They also want to add more cameras at various parks as needed.
