Shelby County and Memphis roll out Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement

Valerie Matthews, director of the Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement on the Shelby County side, told commissioners the office launched formally in November 2024 and will coordinate city and county efforts to prevent gun violence. "So, of course, the name of our office is the joint office of neighborhood safety and engagement," Matthews said, framing the office as a county–city initiative to align resources and reduce silos.

Matthews said the office will use a public-health approach, combining intervention and prevention work and funding local organizations that serve high-risk individuals. She described the office as a backbone convener rather than a direct-service provider and said the office will support evidence-informed programming, convenings for youth and community partners, and an accountability dashboard so residents can see where resources and outcomes are located. The presentation noted that the launch included a press conference with Commissioner Caswell and broad community turnout.

The office outlined next steps including continued community landscape analysis, capacity-building series for nonprofits and work on data governance with city and county IT partners. Matthews asked commissioners to share organizational contacts and prepare for a future funding request from the mayor to support the office's work.