Congressman Cohen Discusses Effective Crime Fighting with Attorney General Garland

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today discussed effective approaches to fighting crime with Attorney General Merrick Garland at a hearing on oversight of the Justice Department. Congressman Cohen discussed the problem of recruiting police in Memphis. He thanked the Attorney General for opening a “pattern or practice” investigation of the Memphis Police Department and for announcing the federal civil rights charges against the five former officers who are alleged to have beaten Tyre Nichols to death. In answer to Congressman Cohen’s question about the impact of a possible government shutdown, Garland said it would “disrupt all our normal programs,” including grants for police recruitment.

In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:

“Crime is growing too much in this country and in my city of Memphis as well. We need law enforcement to be effective, swift and fair…How do we get smarter law enforcement, requiring smart resource allocation…In Memphis, as hiring has been more difficult, we’ve lowered our standards to get more officers. That’s not the way to do it.”

See his entire exchange with the Attorney General here.

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