As a preface to this blog, I want to point out that all of the information I am using comes from various news sources. I have no original sources in this blog.

In April of 2021, Mayor Strickland appointed CJ Davis as Chief of the Memphis Police Department. Since 2016 she had been the Chief of Police in Durham, NC. She had gotten her start in police work in 1986 as a patrol officer in Atlanta, quickly advancing through the ranks to become Deputy Chief over the special operations divisions. These special operations included Atlanta's REDDOG Unit. For those that may not know, the REDDOG (Run Every Drug Dealer Out of Georgia) was an elite force of officers that had been described as ninja like in their tactics. They would move in without warning and use very aggressive, physical tactics on known/suspected drug dealers. They were a very popular tool in the 90's in Atlanta until they came under fire for severely beating an undercover officer embedded with a gang during a raid.

Davis was demoted and then fired for her mishandling of an investigation of sex crimes in Atlanta that involved the husband of a fellow officer. The husband was found guilty of having sex with underage girls. After going before the review board, Davis was reinstated. Soon after, she went to Durham, NC to be chief and was in that position when she was tapped by Strickland to be Memphis' new Chief of Police.

The SCORPION unit (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods) was formed by Davis within weeks after her arrival. The parallel between SCORPION and REDDOG is just too similar to ignore. According to sources within the department that spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, the SCORPION officers received very little additional training other than "three days of Power Point presentations, one day of criminal apprehension instruction and one day at the firing range." The unidentified, recently retired officer also reported that morale in the department was "very low".

SCORPION officers drove dark colored Dodge Chargers with the SCORPION symbol on the car. They wear black hoodies and black tactical vests. They were set up as an elite force within the department. Yet, they received very little training over and above a regular officer. These young officers were told they were special, but in reality they appear to have been chosen for their size and physical attributes rather than their training.

Now that the fully predictable has come to pass, Chief Davis has been quick to throw these young officers under the bus. In my opinion, she created this catastrophe. These officers absolutely are guilty of horrific crimes. Chief Davis should be standing right along beside them in court.

It is stating the obvious to say that Memphis has a severe problem with crime. They have a police force that is suffering from low morale and is seen as ineffective. It is the result of years of mismanagement and apathy within government. It will not be fixed overnight. Perhaps a special forces type unit is one tool that could prove useful in the fight to take back the city. But, SCORPION has written it's own eulogy. It was all show and bravado and no training. It, along with REDDOG is an example of how not to run a police force. Now any special operations force that is formed in Memphis will be viewed through the lens of SCORPIONs failures.

Score one more for the bad guys.