Tyler Foster
(He/Him)
As seen in:
USA Today,
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The Tennessean,
Knoxville News Sentinel,
The Clarion-Ledger,
Chattanooga Times Free Press,
The Commercial Appeal,
The Daily Memphian,
The Leaf-Chronicle,
Chattanoogan.com
and
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My interests include criminal legal reform, police accountability, criminal defense, community organizing, reentry and collateral consequences, prison conditions, civil rights, and social justice.
Articles by Tyler Foster
Why Is Memphis Fighting So Hard to Keep Police Disciplinary Records From the Public?
In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice released the results of its sweeping investigation into the Memphis Police Department. The investigation found that MPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force; unlawful stops, searches and arrests; and discrimination against Black people and people with behavioral-health disabilities. The DOJ later retracted the report's findings under the Trump administration, but the original report remains publicly available.
Gen Z grads turn to gigs and startups as entry-level hiring dries up
Gen Z grads turn to gigs and startups as entry-level hiring dries up Career counselors say the class of 2026 faces one of the toughest entry-level markets in recent memory. “We are seeing students with strong GPAs and multiple internships who simply cannot convert applications into offers,” said Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, the college-to-career platform, in an April 2026 interview.
Opinion: No one should lose their life in jail, especially those still awaiting trial and presumed innocent
The Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center is one of the most dangerous places a person can be, a fact Sheriff Austin Garrett himself has publicly acknowledged. Its death rate is more than twice the national average, and behind that statistic are neighbors, friends and family members whose lives ended far too soon, often in ways that were preventable. These deaths are symptoms of a system plagued by overcrowding, medical neglect, violence, and dangerous living conditions.
Memphis opinion: When public records are not public - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News
“If we want safer communities and lasting reform, we need a government that respects the public’s right to see, question and hold it accountable. And that begins with access to the truth.” Tennessee Public Records Act
city of Memphis
Memphis Police Department
Office of Open Records Counsel
Memphis was never serious about police reform or reducing crime | Opinion
Following the acquittal of the officers charged with murdering Tyre Nichols, Memphis Mayor Paul Young created a police reform task force to overhaul the MPD. The task force was created without community input and has been functioning without full transparency. As a result, it is largely ineffective. The author calls for divestment from policing and reinvestment in community programs, increased transparency in police misconduct, and an end to specialized "crime suppression" units.
Memphis must reject Elon Musk’s xAI project
by Tyler Foster, Tennessee Lookout May 9, 2025 Since the announcement of Elon Musk’s xAI’s supercomputer project in Memphis, city officials — led by Mayor Paul Young — have portrayed it as a transformative investment for Memphis, an opportunity to place our city on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence and 21st-century technology. Yet from the beginning, this project has been shrouded in secrecy, half-truths, and outright lies.
What the acquittals in the Tyre Nichols case reveal about American policing | Opinion
The legal process was never meant to deliver justice for Tyre Nichols. It was designed to protect his killers. Tyler Foster Guest Columnist Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted in the killing of Tyre Nichols by an all-white jury from outside of Memphis. Policing was designed to enforce racial and social hierarchies and is, thus, inherently oppressive. Little has changed in Memphis since Nichols' death, with the police department continuing to operate without meaningful oversight.
What the acquittals in the Tyre Nichols case reveal about American policing | Opinion
Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted in the killing of Tyre Nichols by an all-white jury from outside of Memphis. Policing was designed to enforce racial and social hierarchies and is, thus, inherently oppressive. Little has changed in Memphis since Nichols' death, with the police department continuing to operate without meaningful oversight.
Opinion: The right to bail is under attack in Tennessee
Tyler Foster is a law student at the University of Memphis School of Law. He serves as the vice president of the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH) and on the Board of Directors for the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN).
Tyler Foster - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News
Foster: “By prioritizing community investment, Shelby County can address the root causes of crime rather than perpetuating a cycle of incarceration.”
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