The Memphis Police Department is under fire after it was revealed that the standard to join the ranks of police officers had been lowered in the past.
The news comes on the heels of the deadly police beating of Tyre Nichols last month and as crime across the city surges. Not only were standards lowered but the department offered incentives in the form of signing bonuses up to $15,000 to encourage people to join the force.
It was also reported that the department provided $10,000 in relocation allowances. Previously, candidates had to have military service, previous experience in policing, or college credit but those qualifications were rolled back.
"They would allow just pretty much anybody to be a police officer because they just want these numbers," Alvin Davis, former lieutenant ini charge of recruiting at the Memphis Police Department, told the Associated Press.
The department had apparently grown desperate to fill hundreds of vacant positions, particularly as more officers quit.
More than 1,350 have quit over the last decade. As a result, the MPD considered hiring applicants with criminal histories. The police academy lowered its timing requirements during physical tests and removed the running portion of its training program because most recruits failed.
"If you lower standards, you can predict that you're going to have problems because we're recruiting from the human race," Ronal Serpas, the former head of police in Nashville and New Orleans, told the AP.
Cheddar News' Shannon LaNier got behind the wheel at Velocity Driving — a driving range on Long Island where customers can pay for a chance to ride their favorite exotic cars.
Cheddar News' Shannon LaNier got behind the wheel of a 2023 McLaren GT at Velocity Driving — a driving range on Long Island where customers can pay for a chance to ride their favorite exotic cars.
Cheddar News' Shannon LaNier got behind the wheel of a 2023 McLaren GT at Velocity Driving — a driving range on Long Island where customers can pay for a chance to ride their favorite exotic cars.
A tornado ripped through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, killing five people and causing widespread destruction as the third in a series of deadly massive storms over the past two weeks struck the nation's heartland.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was deemed to be the busiest in the world, according to industry data, with Dallas/Fort Worth a close second.
The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening rules that limit emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from coal-fired power plants.
King Charles III’s wife has been officially identified as Queen Camilla for the first time, with Buckingham Palace using the title on invitations for the monarch’s May 6 coronation.
Bob Lee, a technology executive who created Cash App and was currently chief product officer of MobileCoin, has been fatally stabbed in San Francisco.
Authorities say at least five people were killed and an unknown number of others were hurt when a large tornado tore through an area of southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday.
Taylor Swift is selling out arenas right now on her 'Eras' concert tour, and during a recent stop in Las Vegas, a love story was unfolding in the audience while she was singing her song "Love Story" on stage. Brian Johannes Monteverdi was recording the show when he noticed this mid-concert marriage proposal.
