MEMPHIS, TN — The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission has released the countywide and city of Memphis crime statistics for January-November 2014.
The reported major property crime rate for Jan-November 2014 YTD was down 3.7 percent countywide and 3.3 percent in the City of Memphis, compared to the same period in 2013. The reported major property crime rate was down 32.4 percent countywide and 29.4 percent in Memphis, compared to the same period in 2006, which is the baseline year for Operation: Safe Community (OSC).
Major property crimes include burglaries, motor vehicle thefts and other felony theft offenses.
The reported domestic violence crime rate for Jan- November 2014 YTD compared to the same period in 2013 was down 9.7 percent countywide and 10.3 percent in Memphis. While data going back to 2006 is not available for reported domestic violence offenses, OSC has begun tracking this crime category and uses 2011 as a baseline year. Compared to the 2011 baseline year, the reported domestic violence crime rate was down 16 percent countywide and 16.1 percent in Memphis. Domestic violence offenses include homicides, all assaults, kidnapping/ abduction and all forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, based on victim-to-offender relationships.
Since 2006, OSC’s baseline year, reported major violent crime is down countywide 17.9 percent. When comparing the October 2014 major violent crime rate to November, the rate is holding steady and substantially below the same time period in 2013. For the entire January through November 2014 time period, reported major violent crime countywide is up 4.8 percent and for Memphis is up 4.2 percent compared to the same period in 2013.
Director Toney Armstrong, Memphis Police Department, stated, “The decreases in property crime and domestic violence are good considering the number of boots on the ground. Memphis Police Department is continuing to deploy officers to high areas of crime and exploring policing strategies to build police relations such as body cameras and expansion of COPs activities.”
Ben Adams, CEO of Baker Donelson and chairman of Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, said “Undoubtedly, this has been one amazing month for Memphis with pre-K funding, Target, IKEA, and the Bass Pro project. There are so many great things happening that our number one job now has to be reducing violent crime and the perception of it. Clearly we need more resources and more efficient use of our sworn complement. We have strained our police and they need help.”
Background
- About the crime statistics: 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.
- About Operation: Safe Community: Launched in 2007, OSC, spearheaded by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, is a crime reduction initiative with a network of more than 100 partner organizations. It is the public safety pillar of Memphis Fast Forward, a shared vision and action plan for improving economic prosperity and quality of life in Memphis and Shelby County. Go to memphisfastforward.com/publicsafety for more information.
- About the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission: 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 comprised 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 contributions by private sector donors. Go to memphiscrime.org for more information.
