City hall says crime is not the biggest concern for Whitehaven residents. So what is it?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Junior hosted a town hall meeting in Whitehaven on Tuesday and not a single voter asked about crime.

What are residents worried about in their neighborhoods?

Potholes. Trashy streets. Lack of grocery stores. And possible pollution from Elon Musk's AI supercomputer facility.

At the Guest House at Graceland, Memphians from Whitehaven, Boxtown, Westwood and Coro Lake shared their community concerns Tuesday evening.

“What do we do with Elon Musk? Probably nothing. This is a nightmare,” said Oretha Anderson.

“There are potholes the size of my car on 38116,” one woman said, while many others nodded in agreement.

And Patrick O'Neal lamented the lack of quality grocery stores in his area: “Compared to what it used to be, it's really like a food desert.”

Commissioner Ford shared District 9's successes with the group.

The old Southwest Twin Drive-In is expected to become a $22 million anchor for the community, similar to what Raleigh did by incorporating a police station and library into the site.

Groundbreaking will be in February, Ford said.

No longer delayed by disagreements over money, the $10 million Whitehaven High School Stem Lab should be completed in 10 months.

The $10 million first phase of widening Holmes Road from Horn Lake East to Tulane is scheduled to begin early next year.

Commissioner Ford outlined tens of millions of dollars for economic development projects in the 38116 and 38109 zip codes.

And although no residents specifically asked about crime, MPD top brass were on hand to answer any questions they might have.

Commissioner Ford told those in attendance that his district currently has 56 surveillance cameras. He wants to provide half a million more to finance 75 more cameras.

And he supports Memphis Mayor Paul Young's AI camera installation.

“The more cameras, the better. I just want to make sure it's a pure deterrent to crime because that's one of our challenges,” Ford told Action News 5.

No question was off limits on Tuesday.

Commissioner Ford informed his constituents that his term was limited and he could not run for the office again. He said he is now fully focused on helping Whitehaven and surrounding neighborhoods thrive in 2025.

“As you can see, we have returned nearly $70 million in infrastructure and programs to the community,” he said, “and in the remaining 22 months of this term, I plan to ensure that number increases. “

And finally, Ford provided an update on construction work on Elvis Presley Boulevard – a main road through his district.

He said $9 million has been secured for the second phase as groundbreaking will take place early next year and the project is expected to take 24 months to complete.

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