Behind the Headlines Podcast · WKNO/The Daily Memphian

1638: Downtown Memphis Commission President & CEO Chandell Ryan

·31 min·2 clips

Downtown Memphis crime is down nearly 50%, and car theft is down over 70% in the North Main Precinct.

1. Behind the Headlines focuses on downtown Memphis, Beale Street, and the Downtown Memphis Commission’s plans for new investment. 2. Mark Barnes hosts Shondell Ryan, President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission, with Bill Dries joining as the Daily Memphian reporter who presses on details. 3. The episode asks what downtown Memphis is for now: a safer, more connected district that works for residents, tourists, and businesses. 4. Ryan says downtown crime is just under 50% lower and car theft is down over 70% in the North Main Precinct. 5. She ties those numbers to the city’s safety meetings, the command center, and more people being out on the street. 6. Ryan says the Memphis Safe Task Force and the presence of the Guard have not created alarm in what she has seen downtown. 7. She says people have waved to the Guard, spoken to them, and generally felt fine seeing them. 8. For Beale Street, Ryan says spring measures started early because warm weather arrived before the usual April period after St. Patrick’s Day. 9. She says police and DMC partners review each season and use problems like weak camera coverage near 2nd and Beale to make changes. 10. One fix she names is cutting down trees and adding cameras so the command center can watch that area better. 11. Ryan says the state funds are still being worked through and will affect infrastructure, camera network upgrades, and security around Beale Street. 12. She says the total spending in the area will be $100 million, not just the $74 million state allocation. 13. Ryan says the plan also includes better lighting, streetscapes, and more permanent traffic-control systems instead of construction barricades. 14. She says the downtown command center at Peabody Place and B.B. King is a game changer because people watch cameras every day. 15. Ryan says the ambassadors program costs a little over $2 million and includes cleaning ambassadors, special projects, and safety ambassadors. 16. She says those workers paint poles, remove graffiti and stickers, and have planted about 4,500 plants so far. 17. The interview moves quickly between crime data, infrastructure, and business recruitment, with Ryan answering in a practical, operational style. 18. Barnes and Dries ask direct questions about safety, the Sheraton, the trolley, homeless outreach, and Beale Street Landing. 19. People who follow downtown Memphis development, civic infrastructure, or Beale Street planning would get the most from this episode. 20. People looking for a short celebrity interview or a purely entertainment-focused show may skip it.

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