Blight Zero aims to clean up both blight and crime

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Blight is a big issue across the Bluff City, and so is crime, which is why city leaders are getting creative about battling both problems together.

Pick any community in Memphis, and you may find this: illegal dumping of mattresses, soda bottles, and trash.

Mayor Paul Young and Chief CJ Davis say they are teaming together to create a new initiative called Blight Zero.

The goal is to make all of Memphis beautiful again, starting with the Douglass neighborhood, where heavy duty trucks, lawnmowers and city workers were helping to clean up the community Friday.

"It's good for the community because you never know what could happen around all these bushes and areas like this," resident James Sutton said.

You may remember WREG telling you about MPD's Operation Code Zero to crack down on crime.

Operation Code Zero leads to 33 arrests; seizure of illegal drugs, guns

On Friday, Mayor Paul Young and Interim Police Chief C-J Davis announced an extension of the program called "Blight Zero," because they say blight and crime go together.

"We all know that there is a direct correlation between blight and crime. That vacant houses, and dilapidated houses are sometimes utilized for all kinds of illicit activities, rather it's drugs or prostitution, and besides that sometimes these types of structures are just dangerous," Police Chief C.J. Davis said.

Picking up trash, Removing dead trees, and cutting tall grass is just the first step in taking action.

"Memphis was once formerly known as the most beautiful city in this country, one of the most cleanest city in the county and we are working to get back that destination," Young said.

But Mayor Young is also looking to take legal action.

"We are not going to tolerate it any longer," he said. "We have an administration that's going to be very aggressive when it comes to taking action. We want those individuals who are responsible for putting our community in these types of situations and those property owners."

But Douglass residents and business owners say in order to dump blight, everyone must take pride in the place they call home.

"If Memphis is going to return back to Memphis City beautiful we must have a sustained effort," Pastor Tory Wilson said.

Young is also hosting a city-wide clean-up on October 19 for the Own Your Block initiative.