The wellness committee recommended approval of agenda item 8.01 to submit a COPS School Violence Prevention Program grant to fund evidence-based safety technology, equipment and related infrastructure for district schools.

APD presented data crediting the Aurora SAVE intervention with multi-year declines in shootings and other crimes and described selection criteria and partner roles; community speakers and council members urged reliance on data and cautioned against dismantling or localizing the program without safeguards.

District staff presented FY26 school improvement identifications (CSI/TSI), required evidence levels under ESSA, per-school allocations ($93,211 for CSI; $37,284 for TSI), and recommended evidence-based strategies; the board approved submission of plans to the Mississippi Department of Education for approval and emphasized staffing and longitudinal student tracking.

The council unanimously passed DC‑4 directing city staff to remove legacy neighborhood watch signs (more than 600 citywide) and affirmed shifting public safety messaging toward evidence‑based, trust‑building strategies.

Shelby County committees approved acceptance of federal and state grants to support the Memphis SAFE Task Force (U.S. Marshals overtime reimbursement) and the state Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF) ZIP grant of roughly $4.17 million; the sheriff's office plans to apply funds to overtime, specialized units, technology and jail-based activities