MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission released the countywide and city of Memphis crime statistics for July 2015.
The reported major violent crime rate for January-July 2015 was down 4.6 percent countywide and 3.9 percent in the city of Memphis, compared to the same period in 2014.
The reported major violent crime rate was down 20.7 percent countywide and 16.4 percent in Memphis, compared to the same period in 2006, which is the baseline year for Operation: Safe Community (OSC). Major violent crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery.
The major property crime rate also continued to decline. Countywide, the rate of major property crimes (burglaries, auto thefts, and other theft offenses) dropped 6.3 percent in 2015 compared to 2014 and 36.6 percent compared to 2006.
In Memphis, the decline in 2015 compared to 2014 was 6.4 percent and 34.4 percent compared to 2006.
The reported domestic violence crime rate for January-July 2015 compared to the same period in 2014 was down 7.3 percent both countywide and in the city of Memphis.
While data going back to 2006 is not available for reported domestic violence offenses, OSC in 2011 began tracking this crime category and uses it as a baseline year. Compared to the 2011 baseline year, the reported domestic violence crime rate was down 18.4 percent countywide and 19.1 percent in Memphis. Domestic violence offenses include homicides, all assaults, kidnapping/ abduction, and all forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, based upon victim to offender relationships.
“Overall the crime rate is moving in the right direction but we know we have a long way to go,” said Memphis Police Department Director Toney Armstrong. “We continue to focus on placing officers where needed most and engaging in community outreach to help further reduce the violence impacting our citizens.”
Ben Adams, Memphis Shelby Crime Commission Chair, was optimistic about the ongoing downward trend in property crime rates. “The data demonstrates a consistent reduction in major property crime across the past several years, good news for both citizens and businesses in Memphis and Shelby County.”
The OSC monthly crime trends report uses data reported by local enforcement agencies to the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS), which was developed and is maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. An incident is defined in TIBRS as “one or more offenses committed by the same offender, or group of offenders acting in concert, at the same time and place.”
The domestic violence reported offenses, however, uniquely refer to a victim count versus an incident count.
All state and local law enforcement agencies must report crime data to TIBRS on a monthly basis. The crime categories used in the report are designed to parallel the categories used by the FBI in its annual UCR report.
Richard Janikowski, Principal of Strategic City Solutions, produces the report for the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.
Launched in 2007, OSC, spearheaded by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, is a historic crime reduction initiative involving an organized network of more than 100 partner organizations. It is the public safety pillar of Memphis Fast Forward, a shared vision and unprecedented action plan for improving economic prosperity and quality of life in Memphis and Shelby County.
Memphis Fast Forward is co-chaired by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr., and Gary Shorb, President and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare representing the CEOs group Memphis Tomorrow.
OSC is chaired by Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.
The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission is an independent, non-profit 501(c) (3) organization that “quarterbacks” the work of the OSC plan and its partners. It is governed by a board of 50 public and private sector leaders, most of whom are actively involved in leading various initiatives of the OSC plan.
It is funded through the generous contributions of many private sector donors who want to see our community continue its crime reduction progress.
Ben Adams, CEO of Baker Donelson law firm, serves as chairman and Rick Masson is the interim executive director.
