Police support for special events

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

What: a briefing, requested by the committee chair, on how the Memphis Police Department protects public events and who pays for it.
Where it stands: MPD briefed on its Special Events Office on 10/20/2026; council members asked for the actual amounts billed to and paid by the St. Jude Marathon and other big events.
Next: MPD is to supply cost estimates; members suggested a pay-upfront policy for event policing.

The Special Events Office reviews every permit application for security, schedule and attendance, speaks to organizers and contacts every police station so patrols cover events even without MPD staffing.
More than 609 events this year, roughly 15 a week: 155 street closures, 40 parades (three requiring closures), 57 runs, 353 public assemblies and one spontaneous event.
After events the office meets with organizers to debrief.

Hotspot data comes daily and weekly from the Real Time Crime Center; every station and specialized unit reviews it at weekly Thursday meetings.
A member thanked MPD for improvements after Overton Square complaints.

MPD said it invoices for some events (St. Jude Marathon, Memphis in May, River Beats) but did not have figures; most events are not billed.
A councilmember recalled about $1,200 recovered from a recent marathon against large overtime costs, and asked for a policy like other cities where organizers pay upfront.
Another member said the Hickory Hill Christmas Parade had to be cancelled in 2023 or 2024 because of insufficient coverage the same weekend as the St. Jude event.

About 8 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - City Council Committees	8

2026-10-20 - City Council Committees — MPD briefed on special events; members asked for cost recovery figures.