More than 70 percent of Memphis’ reported crimes for the first three quarters of 2023 have involved guns.
Data released by the Memphis Police Department show that gun-involved incidents accounted for 6,019 (72.7 percent) “of all reported violent incidents. MPD defines violent incidents as homicides, forcible rapes, carjackings, robberies, aggravated assaults, and aggravated child abuse.)
“This is an increase of 10 percent compared to the same time period in 2022,” said the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission (MSCC) in a statement.
MPD also found that in the majority of the “reported domestic violence aggravated assaults,” guns were found to be the weapon of choice. This accounted for 52.5 percent of reported incidents in 2023.
The agency has also reported that the number of guns stolen from vehicles has declined by 12.7 percent from 2022. They believe that this is “due in part to increased awareness among both residents and visitors about the dangers of leaving unsecured guns in vehicles.
While the numbers have decreased over the year, the MSCC said the numbers have still “escalated significantly” since the Tennessee General Assembly allowed guns to be in vehicles without a permit.
As gun-related crimes continue to be an issue, MSCC has outlined ways to combat these crimes in their 2022-2026 Safe Community Action Plan.
“It is not intended as a strategic plan encompassing every good idea that various entities are pursuing but rather an action plan composed of steps that can be taken rather immediately to prevent and reduce crime, especially violent crime,” said a statement from MSCC
