Gun crime continues to rise in Memphis, according to the latest data from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.
Crimes involving guns were 30 percent higher in the first three months of 2021 compared to the first three months of 2020. From January to March of this year, there were 1,576 reported incidents involving guns, according to data collected by the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) data show 3,546 gun-crime incidents in Memphis for the first quarter. This is up nearly 53 percent from first quarter 2020.
TBI reports gun crime differently. For that agency, aggravated assault with three victims is one incident involving three offenses. TBI gun-offense figures include nonviolent offenses, like felons in possession of firearms. So, TBI gun data will always be higher than that reported by MPD.
Police responded to 4,405 reports of shots fired from January to March this year. This is up from 3,891 reports in first-quarter 2020. Police responded to 530 reports of someone hit by gunfire, up from 429 in the same time last year.
MPD said 357 guns were reported stolen from cars in the first quarter compared to 164 in the same period last year. The commission said if such gun thefts continue at the same pace, about 1,500 guns will be stolen from cars this year.
“As a community, we must have a sense of urgency about the level of gun crime,” said Crime Commission president Bill Gibbons. “It will take more than law enforcement and prosecutors making it a priority. All of us, including parents, teachers, and faith leaders, must also make it a priority.”
