Breakthrough Conference 2026:
But Memphis Allies and the Memphis Police Department, while respecting the clear boundaries each must observe, have formed a solid working relationship.
It’s a signal that the leadership of both organizations understands public safety is a complex and layered challenge.
“If we want to save our young people and save our communities, we have to stretch ourselves,” said Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis at the Fourth Annual Breakthrough Conference, presented by Memphis Allies and its partners. “We all want less gun violence in our communities.”
The people who commit crimes are sometimes victims themselves and we have to look at it that way, too.
– Cerelyn “CJ” Davis
Police Chief, Memphis Police Department
Memphis had 344 murders in 2023. That number dropped to 184 in 2025 — a 46% decline. Such a significant improvement speaks well of aligned efforts. Under Davis, MPD is data-driven, and more attention is also paid to what can be gleaned from social media.
“In that way, we are very similar,” Deason said. “Our team looks at social media to understand beefs or conflicts.”
The difference: police are trying to solve crimes that have already happened; that’s their lane.
Panel discussion at Breakthrough Conference led by Brandon Mathis, president of T.W.I.N.S.
But sometimes, Davis said, a referral to a group such as Memphis Allies might be the right course of action.
“The people who commit crimes are sometimes victims themselves,” Davis said. “And we have to look at it that way, too.”
Also, as part of the conference, Memphis Allies staff and partners participated in a panel discussion on outreach. The conversation was led by Brandon Mathis, president of T.W.I.N.S., a Memphis Allies implementing partner.
Mathis, speaking of outreach staff, said: “They are the ones who begin the process of a person’s life changing.”
Tito Porter, a Memphis Allies outreach supervisor, broke down how gang hierarchy in Memphis is different from larger cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, and how that impacts outreach work here.
Susan Deason, executive director of Memphis Allies and Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, Memphis Police Chief at Breakthrough Conference
Breakthrough keynote speaker DeVone Boggan, founder and CEO of Advance Peace in Richmond, California, spoke candidly about what leaders in the community must do. He said gun violence intervention groups, such as Memphis Allies, need to sustain their program model. They also need to expand their reach if they are going to achieve the goal of further reducing gun violence and changing lives.
Working in the gun violence intervention space for two decades now, Boggan has heard many excuses for not sustaining and expanding the work. He rejects every one of them, saying, “We are not outnumbered; we are outorganized.”
And in too many cases, underfunded, Boggan said. Seizing the conference theme, “Cultivating Champions for a Safe Memphis,” Boggan stressed the community needs more champions to help lift the work of Memphis Allies and other gun violence intervention organizations.
“That includes city and county government,” Boggan added. “If they don’t invest in this work, you are building sandcastles.”
