Tyre Nichols: What is the 'Scorpion' unit of Memphis police?

BBC ^ | 01/27/2023 | Max Matza

[BenLurkin]

Some of the five ex-officers in Memphis charged with the murder of Tyre Nichols were part of an elite crime-fighting unit that is now under scrutiny.

Scorpion - which stands for "Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods" - is a 50-person unit with the mission of bringing down crime levels in particular areas.

The police chief has now ordered a review of all specialised police units.

This is not the first time the Scorpion unit has attracted controversy.

It was launched in October 2021 with a focus on high-impact crimes such as car thefts and gang-related offences.

But some community activists say its focus on hot spots within the city contributes to officers' bias and brutality.

"They were in unmarked cars, why are they conducting traffic stops?"

"The Scorpion unit was involved," Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said on Thursday at a news conference as he announced the charges against the fired officers.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, the first black woman to serve in that role for the city, said a day before charges were filed in the Tyre Nichols case that the Scorpion unit - and all specialised police units - would undergo a review.

The Scorpion programme was touted by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland in a speech a year ago. He said the city used crime data "to determine where the unit will conduct its enforcement activities within the city".

From October 2021 until January 2022, the unit made 566 arrests, he said. They also seized over $100,000 in cash, 270 vehicles and 253 weapons.

[BenLurkin]

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

[READINABLUESTATE]

Minneapolis had a “Gang Task Force” A while back. They ended up being disbanded because they were bigger criminals than the ones they were arresting.

[blackdog]

It’s all about branding. The “Rainbow Pony Squad” just fails to get that cop adrenaline going. Memphis is run by the bottom of the brain trust which hires the bottom of the unskilled and emotionally mis-developed. Basically greedy hood rats in charge of stupid hood rats with badge and gun.

[1Old Pro]

Memphis is run by the bottom of the brain trust which hires the bottom of the unskilled and emotionally mis-developed. Basically greedy hood rats in charge of stupid hood rats with badge and gun.

That would be my guess.

[OKSooner]

Sounds suspiciously like a payback or some sort of score being settled to me. Granted however, that I wasn’t there nor do I have any inside info.

[blackdog]

The whole thing gets going because of federal grants for the very same activity in policing the feds will now be investigating. Too bizarre. A perpetually self sustaining institutional Frankenstein.

[Leaning Right]

Who in the world thought that “Scorpion” would be a good name for a police street unit? It would be like officially naming a police unit the A$$-Kickers.

Words really do matter. If you’re a Scorpion, pretty soon you’re acting like one. And it’s a shame, obviously. Police are losing the public’s trust as the thugs are getting bolder.

Bad times are ahead.

[montag813]

5 dead black kids every weekend in Chicago and no one gives a crap

[blackdog]

Agreed. They knew the guy and a score was being settled. It will never go to trial. The city and its management would get slaughtered. The cops were trained to do this stuff and were completely unsupervised. Unaccompanied minors with guns and badges roamingvthe streets with cop toys.

You should experience the MLGW utility employees.......

[1Old Pro]

5 dead black kids every weekend in Chicago and no one gives a crap

It's hard to start a riot or fundraise on something that is "commonplace" and accepted.

[packagingguy]

I know Mayor Strickland.

He probably had no idea what he was signing up for when he ran for mayor.

It doesn’t matter who is mayor—black, white, a career politician, not a career politician—Memphis just gets worse and worse.

Eliza Fletcher’s murder a few months ago cost the city $3,000,000,000...the whole family is moving.

Go on the MPD Twitter page and you’ll see people go missing all the time in Memphis. Lots of kids.

Are they kidnapped into sex slavery? Are they dead from a gang initiation? Their bodies in a field somewhere? But there are a lot of them, just gone.

Now this.

It’s about time to stick a fork in Memphis, it’s done.

[blackdog]

Echo chambers of government give us things like “Scorpion Squads” and mandated Covid jabs. “Rainbow Pony Squad” doesn’t get near the funding that “Scorpion Sting Team” gets.

[DCBryan1]

We know where the blame will land:

<<<---at fault
Memphis Mayor Strickland-DemocRAT

<<<---NOT at fault
Memphis Council Chairman-DemocRAT
Memphis City Council-Mostly DemocRAT <<<---five (5) at fault

<<<---NOT at fault>
Memphis Police Chief-DemocRAT

<<<---three (3) at fault
Memphis Police Dept Command Staff-mostly DemocRAT

<<<---NOT at fault
Shelby Co. Mayor-DemocRAT

<<<---NOT at fault
Shelby County Judge-DemocRAT

<<<---NOT at fault
Shelby Co. Sheriff-DemocRAT

<<<---at fault
Steve Mulroy - District Attorney-DemocRAT.

^^^---15+ at fault^^^
Memphis Police Dept. Scorpion Unit.

[bigdaddy45]

Holy cow I just looked.... a white guy is the mayor of Memphis?? How is that possible?

[wny]

goons with badges...

[packagingguy]

He’s a big time Democrat, that’s how.

[9YearLurker]

Sounds like the name became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Maybe it was payback for something in the past. Kind of like this one.

‘Well well well! WELL WELL WELL!”

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4cjoz3

[bk1000]

“But some community activists say its focus on hot spots within the city contributes to officers’ bias and brutality.”

So it is racist to have police patrol where the crimes occur?

[skepsel]

Three billion dollar settlement?
That has to be a record.
I’d move too.