Tag: Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

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Memphis Crime Rate Falls In First Three Quarters of 2024

Photo by Martin Podsiad on Unsplash

The Memphis crime rate showed a “very significant drop” from January to September of 2024, according to new data from the Crime Commission and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute. 

Credit: Crime Commission and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute

The major property crime rate fell more than 20 percent in the first nine months of 2024, compared to the same period last year. These crimes are burglaries, vehicle thefts, and other felony thefts (like thefts from vehicles). The biggest drop came in the vehicle theft rate, down more than 35 percent. Burglaries were down nearly 20 percent. Other felony thefts were down nearly 13 percent. 

The major violent crime rate fell, too, in the first nine months of the year. Though, they did not fall as dramatically as property crimes. 

Crime Commission and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute

The murder rate fell by more than 11 percent. Rapes were down nearly 9 percent. Robberies were down by more than 22 percent. However, aggravated assaults rose more than 2 percent. 

Crime Commission president Bill Gibbons said there were nearly 10,000 victims of aggravated assault in the first nine months of the year, making up over 80 percent of all reported violent crimes. 

“Until we reduce significantly the number of aggravated assaults, we will not be able to have a significant reduction in the overall violent crime rate,” Gibbs said in a statement. “And, of course, an aggravated assault can become a murder in a split second. All it takes is the offender being a good aim.”

Crime Commission and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute

The overall crime rate in Memphis dropped more than 10 percent in Memphis from January to September. 

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Major Violent Crimes Down in 2022

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

The Public Safety Institute at the University of Memphis and the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission have used preliminary data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to release 2022 crime figures.

Officials said while still higher than previous years, the number of reported major violent crimes has gone down.  These crimes saw a 5.1 percent decrease compared to 2021 in Memphis, and 5.0 percent countywide. Reported major violent crimes include murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assault.

According to Bill Gibbons, executive director of the PSI and president of the Crime Commission, this decline is the result of reduced reports of aggravated assaults, both in Memphis and countywide. 

 “Aggravated assaults make up some 80 percent of reported major violent crime. The number of reported aggravated assaults drives the violent crime number,” said Gibbons. 

While violent crime numbers have decreased, there has been an increase in major property crimes, specifically vehicle thefts. Reported burglaries, vehicle thefts and other felony thefts are considered major property crimes.

Memphis saw a 29.3 percent increase in major property crime compared to 2021 numbers, while vehicle thefts “skyrocketed” with a 113.1 percent increase in Memphis and 107.9 percent increase countywide. There was also a 12.3 percent increase in reported burglaries in Memphis and a 9.6 percent increase countywide.

Officials also reported that the number of guns stolen from vehicles also saw a drastic increase. According to reports from the Memphis Police Department, 2,441 guns were reported stolen in 2022. This is a 19 percent increase compared to 2021 (2,042), and a 750 percent increase compared to 2011 (287).

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Report: Memphis Crime Rates Declined in 2021

(Credit: Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission)

Major violent crime declined in the second half of 2021, according to the latest data from the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission. 

These crimes, which include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, rose sharply here in 2020 as they did in most urban centers across the United States. Violent crime was up 24 percent in Memphis in 2020, compared to 2019, with big increases in murders and aggravated assaults.

(Credit: Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission)

The trend continued in the first half of 2021, with violent crime rates up 13 percent in Memphis. However, early data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) show a 2 percent increase in violent crime for Memphis for all of 2021, “indicating an actual decline during the last half of 2021,” according to the Crime Commission.

“Whether or not this is the beginning of a longer downward trend is something time will tell but it is encouraging,” said Crime Commission president Bill Gibbons. “Still, our major violent crime rate remains above what it was in 2019 before the pandemic and substantially above what it was in 2011, the lowest point in our violent crime rate in many years. 

This is not the time to slack up on efforts to reduce violent crime but rather just the opposite.

Bill Gibbons

“This is not the time to slack up on efforts to reduce violent crime but rather just the opposite.” 

Major property crimes continue a three-year decline. (Credit: Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission)

Major property crimes, like burglaries and motor vehicle thefts, continued a three-year decline last year. These crimes were down 5.5 percent in Memphis in 2021, compared to 2020.

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Gun Crime Rises 30 Percent

Gun crime continues to rise in Memphis, according to the latest data from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

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. 

Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

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.  

Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

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.  

Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

“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.” 

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Crime Commission Pushes to End Police Residency Requirement

The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission released a statement late Monday afternoon in support of a pending state legislative bill that would eliminate the residency requirement for local law enforcement and other local first responders.

SB 29/HB 105 would retroactively abolish all local residency provisions statewide. While currently there is not a statewide local residency provision, SB 29/HB 105 would prohibit local governments from establishing local residency provisions.

The commission cited rising violent crime rates and a shortage of officers as reasoning for their support of the bill. Although the Memphis City Council has set a goal of 2,500 officers for the city of Memphis, at the end of 2020, Memphis had 2,038 commissioned officers. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was also below its goal of 750 officers, with 718 officers.

“During our discussion, it was obvious that many [Crime Commission Board of Directors] members were sensitive to the issue of state government preempting local decision-making,” said Ben Adams from the Crime Commission. “However, most board members see the enactment of the legislation as a necessary step to address the severe shortage of local law enforcement officers.”

While the number of on-duty officers has increased since the end of 2016, the overall growth of officers has been slow. 2020 also showed a regression of growth in the number of officers. The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission argues that increasing the pool of potential officer candidates would increase the number of officers in the streets. Their statement also argues that increasing the number of officers would take the strain off of the existing officers in the field.

“At the end of 2020, the MPD was down to 2,038 officers. The Memphis City Council has set a goal of 2,500 officers. Simply put, we will never reach that goal without expanding the pool of qualified applicants,” said Adams.

Citywide there is also support for hiring more officers. In a survey conducted in July of last year 78 percent of respondents were in favor of hiring more police officers with 69 percent of respondents replying that they would like to see increased local law enforcement presence in their neighborhood.

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Report Shows Overall Crime Down But a Rise in Major Violent Crime

A new report from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission’s office shows that overall crime within the city fell during 2020, but major violent crime, specifically murder and aggravated assaults, rose at a “disturbing pace.”

Major property crime, which includes burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and other felony thefts, dropped 8.9 percent in Memphis and 8.4 percent countywide. These drops culminate with a 35.3 percent drop of property crime in the city of Memphis and a 36.4 percent drop countywide over the last 15 years.

The Crime Commission attributes the decrease in crime to a “plummeting” burglary rate. In Memphis, reported burglaries were down 26.1 percent compared to 2019. While the report mentions that it is possible this is due to an increased number of people staying at home because of COVID-19, the burglary rate in Memphis fallen 66.1 percent citywide since 2006.

For Memphians, major violent crime remained a constant threat throughout 2020. Major violent crime, which is represented by murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults, was up 24.3 percent citywide and 23.1 percent countywide. Leading the increase were an abnormally high rate of murders, with a 49 percent increase in the number of murders throughout Memphis compared to last year. Countywide there was a 45.9 percent increase in murders.

Reported aggravated assaults were up as well. Aggravated assaults increased by 35.4 percent in the city, and 34.3 percent countywide. Despite the rise in both aggravated assaults and murders, robberies city and countywide were down 12.1 percent and 13.8 percent respectively.

One of the critical factors pointed to by the reported as a driver for the increases in crime was the amount of gun violence throughout the city. The Memphis Police Department recorded a record-breaking 332 homicides in 2020. Of the 332 homicides, 262 of them were with firearms. All in all, there were 6,454 reported violent incidents that involved a firearm, which constituted a 24.6 percent jump when compared to 2019.

The Crime Commission’s president and executive director, Bill Gibbons, said that the city will need more resources to solve the crime problem throughout Memphis.

“We’ve identified evidenced-based practices that, if implemented correctly, will work to reduce violent gun crime significantly. We have leaders committed to them, but it takes resources,” Gibbons said.

The full report can be found on the Crime Commission’s website.

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Upward Juvenile Violent Crime Trend ‘Disturbing’

Countywide Juvenile Justice Consortium

Juvenile crime is down, overall, in the first half of 2019, but violent crime is up enough for a law enforcement official to call the trend “disturbing.”

New figures from the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County were published Tuesday by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission. The numbers had “both good news and bad news on juvenile crime,” according to the commission.

The good news: the number of overall charges against juveniles was down 9 percent from the same time last year. So far, 3,096 charges were lodges against youths here.

Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

“The reduction may not totally be attributable to a drop in the number of alleged delinquent acts but rather to programs designed to divert youthful offenders from the Juvenile Court system for lower level offenses,” reads a report from the commission.

Shelby County Schools, for example, has implemented School House Adjustment Program Enterprise (S.H.A.P.E.). The program is aimed at reducing the number of students sent through the Juvenile Court system for minor infractions.

The bad news: the number of charges for violent juvenile crime is up. These charges include murder, rape, robbery, and other offenses. So far this year, 463 such charges have been filed. That’s up from 282 charges in the same time last year.

Memphis Shelby Crime Commission

“More violent crime by juveniles is a disturbing trend,” said Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich. “The victims of these crimes don’t suffer any less simply because the person who pointed a gun at them is 16 years old. We have to commit as a community to reducing these numbers.”

Other numbers found that nearly half (47.1 percent) of all complaints filed during the first half of this year involved repeat offenders.

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Memphis Shelby Crime Commission Hires Harold Collins

Harold Collins

Former Memphis City Councilman (and 2015 mayoral candidate) Harold Collins has taken a position as vice president for community engagement at the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, announced the commission’s president Bill Gibbons on Thursday afternoon.

Collins had previously worked with the commission under a consulting contract. Now he will lead and direct the day-to-day implementation of efforts to increase citizen involvement in Crime Commission activities. He’ll also be recruiting community partners to help promote and implement the commission’s Operation: Safe Community crime-fighting initiative, which was just revamped to include new strategies.

“Harold’s experience in the community, his former work with the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, and his service on the Memphis City Council bring a wealth of knowledge to the Crime Commission,” Gibbons said.

“It’s an honor to serve my community in this new role. I look forward to the challenge and sharing the Operation: Safe Community goals with our citizens and having them join our work,” Collins stated.

Collins served on the council from 2008 to 2015. He ran an unsuccessful bid for Memphis mayor against incumbent A C Wharton and current mayor Jim Strickland last year. He also served as a special assistant to Shelby County district attorney Amy Weirich for a number of years.

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Drug and Weapons Violations Up in Memphis

Bill Gibbons

Weapon and drug charges are on the rise in Memphis this year, according to new statistics from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

The two likely go hand in hand with the city’s higher-than-usual homicide rate, which is up about 72 percent over this time last year. 

For the period between January and April 2016, weapons violations were up 17 percent in the city and 16 percent countywide. Drug violations were up 25 percent in Memphis and 21 percent countywide for that same period. The overall major violent crime rate to date is up 9 percent in Memphis and 11 percent countywide. Major violent crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.

Despite the high numbers, the Crime Commission says major violence crime is still down 11 percent in Memphis and 14 percent countywide when compared to the same time in 2006, the year the commission launched its massive crime-fighting strategy, Operation: Safe Community (OSC). OSC includes the Memphis Police Department’s data-driven policing model Blue CRUSH, efforts to reduce truancy and gang crime, and several other initiatives.

Also, major property crime rate is on the decline. Burglaries, auto thefts, and other theft offenses have dropped by 5 percent in Memphis compared with this time last year and 40 percent compared with the first four months of 2006. The countywide rate dropped 7 percent from last year and 41 percent from 2006.

“The level of violent crime in Memphis and Shelby County is unacceptable. We must continue our commitment to the implementation of Operation: Safe Community, including data-driven deployment of police, vigorous prosecution of convicted felons who persist in toting guns, effective drug treatment and breaking the cycle of domestic violence,” said Tennessee Commissioner of Safety and Homeland Security Bill Gibbons, who will take over as president of the commission on September 1st. “We have planned our work. We need to keep working our plan.”

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Memphis Murder Rate Is Down From Last Year

CREDIT: Iqoncept | Dreamstime.com

On September 1st, police found 25-year-old Sontonio Brown lying on the ground near 5486 Oak Bark Drive in Whitehaven suffering from a gunshot wound. He died at Regional One Health shortly after.

The investigation quickly netted a father, son, and grandfather — 35-year-old Anthony Cleveland, 15-year-old Anthony Cleveland Jr., and 67-year-old Robert Cleveland — who allegedly fired the fatal shots from a green SUV. The motive has not yet been revealed.

Brown’s murder is one of many to occur in Memphis this year. But despite what seems like constant news reports of homicides in Memphis, the numbers are actually down a bit from last year, with 75 homicides year-to-date this July versus 79 year-to-date last July, the most recent numbers available from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

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The numbers are way down from 2006, when the city launched data-driven policing, and the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission started its Operation: Safe Community initiative. Year-to-date through July in 2006, there were 99 homicides.

Last week, The New York Times reported that major cities across the nation are seeing a spike in homicides. Milwaukee jumped from 59 murders year-to-date last year to 104 so far this year. Other cities in the top 10 included St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, New York City, and Philadelphia. Memphis didn’t make the list.

“I was pleased,” said Memphis Shelby Crime Commission Interim Director Rick Masson, when asked his reaction to seeing that Memphis wasn’t included in the Times article.

Masson said homicides are hard to predict, since many are crimes of passion. But he believes Operation: Safe Community is at least partly responsible for an overall drop in crime.

The reported major violent crime — murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery — rate for January to July 2015 was down 4.6 percent countywide and 3.9 percent in the city, compared to the same period in 2014. That same rate was down 20.7 percent countywide and 16.4 percent in Memphis compared to the same period in 2006. Property crimes and domestic violence crimes are also on the decrease.

“You have to deal with this from a prevention standpoint,” Masson said. “You have to keep people who haven’t stepped onto that road of crime from stepping onto that road. That involves more of the community than it does the police force, but the police force still serves as a deterrent.”

Operation: Safe Community is a plan with 61 initiatives that deal with everything from violence in the home to gang and drug crimes, blight, youth violence, truancy, and prison recidivism. There’s a heavy emphasis on data-driven policing, which the Memphis Police Department (MPD) employs, targeting crime hotspots based on how often they occur in certain areas of the city. The MPD did not respond to requests for comment.

Masson says that while he thinks Operation Safe Community, which partners with the MPD, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and about 100 partner agencies, is working, it’s important to note that there is much work left to do.

“Our crime is still high. I don’t want anyone to think I’m being Pollyanna about this,” Masson said. “But we’re making progress. The numbers are down, but we still have a long way to go. The numbers are still higher than a lot of other cities.”