Cohen Fights For $2.2 Million Owed to Memphis Police that Department of Justice Mistakenly Directed to DeKalb County, Georgia

Press Release

Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) is calling on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to ensure that the City of Memphis receives more than $2.2 million in police department funding it is owed that was mistakenly awarded to DeKalb County, Georgia in 2009. A new DOJ Inspector General report found that had it not been for inflated, inaccurate crime statistics reported by DeKalb County, the Memphis Police Department would have received those funds, allowing the city to hire the 50 officers it needed, rather than reduced funding that only allowed the city to hire 37 officers.

"I was disturbed to learn that the City of Memphis Police Department was deprived of more than $2.2 million that it rightfully should have been awarded in 2009 to hire needed officers and keep our community safe," said Congressman Cohen. "The Memphis economy has been particularly hard hit in recent years, and losing out on this funding likely forced the redirection of resources away from other important priorities in an already strained budget. Attorney General Eric Holder should rectify this mistake as soon as possible and ensure that Memphis receives all of the money it is owed."

The DOJ's report found that the inaccurate statistics reported by DeKalb County placed it "in a better position to receive… funding because it appeared to have a greater need for funding to address fiscal and economic conditions and high rates of crime." Following an audit of the statistics provided, the Inspector General learned that DeKalb County would not have been awarded the grant it received, and that the "City of Memphis Police Department, which received… funding for 37 of the maximum 50 allowed officers it requested, would have been fully funded for 50 officers using $2,229,357 of the funds awarded to DeKalb County." Finally, the report recommends that DOJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) "remedy" the mistakenly directed funds.

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