Tag: Operation Safe Community

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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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Report Shows Countywide Increase in Violent Crime, Decrease in Property Crime

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New data from the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission reveals there has been a slight increase in murders, aggravated assaults, and robberies countywide compared to 2013. However, burglaries and felony theft offenses are on the decline.

The above-mentioned information was disclosed in the Crime Commission’s latest Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report. Countywide crime statistics for January through September 2014 were shared in the report.

Violent crime has increased by six percent in Memphis and 6.6 percent across Shelby County compared to last year, according to the report. From January to September 2014, there were 116 murders, 303 forcible rapes, 6,405 aggravated assaults, and 2,594 robberies in Shelby County. Over the same period in 2013, there were 98 murders, 315 forcible rapes, 5,988 aggravated assaults, and 2,434 robberies.

Major property crime, however, decreased by 3.6 percent in Memphis and 3.9 percent countywide from January through September 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. In 2014, there were 9,269 burglaries, 22,049 theft offenses, and 2,417 motor vehicle thefts. However, in 2013, there were 9,807 burglaries, 22,989 theft offenses, and 2,291 motor vehicle thefts.

There are a few other offenses that have declined since 2013. Drug/narcotic violations have dropped by 28 percent and simple assaults by 11.4 percent. Furthermore, weapons law violations have decreased 10.6 percent and domestic violence 8.8 percent.

The Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report utilizes data reported by local enforcement agencies to the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System.

Operation: Safe Community was launched in 2007 and is an initiative to reduce crime in Memphis and Shelby County. Spearheaded by the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission, the initiative involves an organized network of more than 100 partner organizations.

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Stats Show Violent Crime In Memphis, Shelby County Is Up

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New data shows murders, forcible rapes, aggravated assaults, and robberies across Shelby County are on the rise compared to 2013.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission disclosed countywide crime statistics for January through July 2014 in the latest Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report.

According to the report, violent crime has increased by 5.7 percent in Memphis and 5.8 percent countywide this year thus far compared to last year.

From January to July 2014, there were 80 murders, 233 forcible rapes, 4,880 aggravated assaults, and 1,987 robberies in Shelby County. Over the same period in 2013, there were 73 murders, 218 forcible rapes, 4,622 aggravated assaults, and 1,872 robberies.

“We are concerned about the increase in reported major violent crimes,” said Bill Gibbons, chair of Operation: Safe Community and commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, in a statement. “It points out the importance of continuing to focus on those parts of the Operation: Safe Community plan designed to curb violent street crime, in particular, data-driven deployment of police resources to areas of high rates of youth crime.”

On the contrary, major property crime decreased by 5.4 percent in Memphis and 5.5 percent countywide from January through July 2014, compared to the same time period in 2013.

In 2014, there were 6,845 burglaries, 16,630 theft offenses, and 1,792 motor vehicle thefts. However, in 2013, there were 7,513 burglaries, 17,446 theft offenses, and 1,781 motor vehicle thefts.

“We are encouraged by the continued decline in reported major property crimes, both in Memphis and countywide,” Gibbons said. “We hope the decline in reported domestic violence offenses is a sign that state and local efforts to address this problem are paying off.”

The Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report utilizes data reported by local enforcement agencies to the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System.

Operation: Safe Community was launched in 2007 and is an initiative to reduce crime in Memphis and Shelby County. Spearheaded by the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission, the initiative involves an organized network of more than 100 partner organizations.