Mr. Twoine Sesley

A native of Memphis, I was born and raised in the Orange Mound Community. Despite its proud heritage and historic roots, the streets of Orange Mound changed during my childhood due to worsening crime and the impact of drugs.  As a teenager, I ran these streets and saw firsthand high rates of drug addiction, mass incarceration and the death of close friends.  Fortunately for me, I was an athlete and had a loving mother praying in the background. I changed my path and became intentional about my future.  I graduated from White Station High School and went to UT Martin on a football scholarship.  Later I transferred to Lemoyne Owen College where I received my BA.  During all of my teen and young adult years, my neighborhood continued to decline due to crime and drugs.  I became determined to make a difference. 

 

In 1998, I joined the MPD and was assigned to my community of Orange Mound and later the West Precinct (Crump Station).  It became evident that our city as a whole was failing our youth: broken families, drugs, crime, limited after school activities, closing community centers.  15 years ago, I joined forces with Pastor Ronnie Cole (Lopez) in the "More Hugs Than Slugs".  We took to the "hood" to help at-risk young men resist the life of gangs and drugs through character building with a Christian background.  During the Covid Crisis, I lost my mother and best friend.  She always preached to me that all it took to change things was "just love" and the seed was planted.  "Just Love Memphis" was born to embrace our at-risk teens with positivity and challenge them to be intentional about a better life.  Just as I took an oath as a police office, I take this commitment seriously.  I will make a difference for our kids.