Memphis Matters - "What Are You Going to Do About It?"

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At my daughter's swim practice one evening I found myself in discussion with a couple of other concerned dads. Memphis, with all it's history, music, food, Tiger basketball and Elvis, we can't seem to get out of the top 5 list. We are still in the top 5 most dangerous cities in America. Even though the city pulled the plug on A&E's show The First 48, reruns will be aired for a long time. Turn on your television and no matter which of the local news stations you watch, no news is good news. Murder, carjacking, the failing city schools, crooked politicians and some other depressing bit is all they seem to talk about these days.

As we debated poolside, we determined that the need for positive press for our city is more than needed, but could in fact be the answer. All three of us Memphians, concerned dads and contributors to our local economy agreed. This is our town, our home and we want so desperately for things to get better, but how?

In Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point he writes how epidemics spread both good and bad. In the 1980s Gladwell explains how crime in New York had reached an all time high with well over 2,000 murders and 600,000 serious felonies a year. Underground, on the subways, conditions could only be described as perilous.

Gladwell writes, "This was New York City in the 1980s, a city in the grip of one of the worst crime epidemics in its history. But then, suddenly and without warning, the epidemic tipped. From a high in 1990, the crime rate went into precipitous decline. Murders dropped by two-thirds. Felonies were cut in half. Other cities saw their crime drop in the same period. But in no place did the level of violence fall farther or faster than NYC. On the subway, by the end of the decade, there were 75% fewer felonies than there had been at the decade's start." - The Tipping Point.

How did New York go from having the highest crime rates in the country to one of the safest big cities in America? One theory mentioned in The Tipping Point was the 'Broken Window Theory'. Criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling developed this theory and based their argument on this premise - that crime is the inevitable result of disorder. If a window is broken and left unrepaired, onlookers will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows are broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes. In a city, relatively minor problems like graffiti, public disorder, and aggressive panhandling are equivalent to the 'Broken Window' theory.

George Kelling was hired by New York City's transit authority as a consultant in the 1980s. He took his 'Broken Window' theory to the subways and the transit authority later hired a guy named David Gunn, who took Kelling's theory and cleaned up the subway system. The graffiti clean up took 6 years to complete in NYC, from 1984 to 1990. Once the subways were clean they later hired the transit police who would nab fare-beaters and handcuff them to a chain gain until that had a "full catch." The idea was to signal, as publicly as possible, that the transit police were cracking down.

After Rudy Giuliani's election as mayor in 1994, he ordered the police department to take the same strategy that had been used in the subway and take it to the streets. It worked. As they cleaned graffiti from the subways, the next day a car would be vandalized again. But without fail the transit authority would clean up car by car immediately until the gangs and thugs finally gave up. New York City is now one of the safest big cities in America. People like George Kelling, David Gunn, and Rudy Giuliani won the war on crime in the Big Apple...they took their subways and streets back.

As I look at Memphis, I can't be one who complains, but one who commits. As my friend Vick said poolside, "Every time I hear someone complaining about Memphis, I just ask them. What are you going to do about it?" Those words hit home to me. I have been guilty of complaining about our politicians, complaining about overcrowded prisons or just complaining to complain. Vick is right. We (Memphians) all need to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves, "What are you going to do about it?" Complaining only solidifies the problem. Individual commitment to make Memphis a better place can tip the epidemic the other direction.

As you read this, you may be asking yourself: "I am not a police officer, mayor or a transit authority employee. How can I make a difference?" My answer would be to start with positive press in your home, workplace, network and community. Don't fall victim to negative Memphis-bashing pander around the water cooler. Instead look for ways to get involved....look for a 'Broken Window' and fix it.

I attend a church that meets at Crichton College off Highland Avenue. What drew me and my family to this church was not just the music or casual dress code, but their authenticity and dedication to Memphis. Fellowship Memphis is a church committed to Memphis, urban development, racial reconciliation and healing in our community. They don't play church on Sundays...they walk the walk. They saw a broken window in Kingsbury High School. They saw a school where only 55% of the 2006-2007 seniors passed their math exit exam and could not graduate. They saw 45% of students who were left behind. Fellowship's membership volunteered as tutors at Kingsbury and in 2008, 95% of the seniors passed their math exit exam and graduated.

Wow...what a story! Did you hear this on any of the local news stations? Of course not. As I stated before, good news is no news. Therefore if you truly want a change in Memphis, it is going to take more people like those found at Fellowship Memphis. Little things can make a big difference...those little things can spread...start an epidemic, but it starts with you. "What are you going to do about it?"

To learn more about Fellowship Memphis and how to get involved with their 'Engage Memphis' ministry, click on the following link:

[http://fellowshipmemphis.org/ministries/engagememphis.htm]

-Jimmy Veteto, Memphian

http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/