This informational blog provides recent articles on specialized police units in American cities. As a result of the death of Tyree Nichols, the City of Memphis disbanded the Scorpion Unit, a special police unit designed to address heightened crime in the city. Memphis is not unique in its use of these units. Examine the links below to find out more about the history of policing and the varied use of these specialized units nationwide.
The Origins of Modern Policing (NAACP, History Explained)
https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/origins-modern-day-policing
“The Culture of Policing and Anti-Black Bias” (WOSU News, 2/8/2023)
The culture of policing and anti-Black bias | WOSU News
There’s Nothing “elite” about police units that beat and frame Black people, community leaders say” (The Grio, 2/7/2023)
https://thegrio.com/2023/02/07/police-units-memphis-corruption/
Tyre Nichols’ killing is disturbingly familiar, ‘special forces’ included (Reuters, 2/6/2023)
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/tyre-nichols-killing-is-disturbingly-familiar-special-forces-included-2023-02-06/
Activists Call to end special crime units within Memphis Police Department (Action News 5, 2/4/2023)
https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/02/05/activists-call-end-special-crime-units-within-memphis-police-department/
In Tyre Nichols Neighborhood, Black Residents Fear Police ( AP News, 2/4/2023)
In Tyre Nichols' neighborhood, Black residents fear police | AP News
“City Announces independent review of Memphis Police special units, use of force” (News Channel 3 Memphis, 2/3/2023)
https://wreg.com/news/local/tyre-nichols/city-announces-independent-review-of-memphis-police-special-units-use-of-force/
“Columbus police say Gang Enforcement Team wont be ‘rogue’ unit “(ABC 6, Columbus, Ohio, 2/2.2023)
https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/columbus-police-say-gang-enforcement-team-wont-be-rogue-unit-crime-violence-guns-felonies-lashanna-potts-suspects-memphis-tyre-nichols
“Why Specialized Police Units Like Scorpion may weaken community trust, not build it”(NPR, 2/2/2023)
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153936564/why-specialized-police-units-like-scorpion-may-weaken-community-trust-not-build-
“Specialized Police Units Are in the Spotlight, Again” (NPR, 2/2/2023)
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153869002/specialized-police-units-are-in-the-spotlight-again
Durham leaders turn eye toward DPD’s specialized crime unit (Eyewitness News 11, 1/31/2023)
https://abc11.com/durham-police-specialized-units-crime-area-target-team-tye-nichols/12756465/
Memphis special police unit accused in Tyre Nichols’ death faces scrutiny (WCVB 5 (Boston), 1/27/2023)
https://www.wcvb.com/article/memphis-special-police-unit-scorpion-tyre-nichols-scrutiny-video/42691295
Do “Elite” police teams like Memphis’s Scorpion unit do more harm than good? (WBUR, 1/1/23)
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2023/02/01/specialized-police-units-tyre-nichols
D.C’s Special Police Units Exclusively Used Force on Black People, Report Finds (DC List, 8/29/2020)
https://dcist.com/story/20/09/29/dc-mpd-special-police-units-black-people-arrests-use-of-force/
Real-Life ‘Training Day: Inside the Corruption Scandal That Brought Down the Oakland PD (Rolling Stone, 1/9/20
Police Scandal: Inside Oakland PD’s Real-Life Training Day – Rolling Stone