MEMPHIS, Tenn — The Memphis Police Department (MPD)'s efforts to prevent crime through increased camera surveillance are being called into question by some Memphians.
In July of 2023, MPD expanded its Real Time Crime Center surveillance efforts. The department pushed for homeowners and business owners to help fight crime after smash-and-grabs and other violent property crimes continued.
"If the camera at the business is integrated, we can watch the business camera live," Deputy Chief Joe Oakley said at the time.
As crime continues, some business owners and other locals said they aren’t seeing the full impact of MPD’s efforts to prevent crime through Skycop and business and security camera integration.
“[It's] a little bit intrusive when crime isn’t happening," Terrance Whitley, the co-founder of Inspire Community Café, said. "But who’s to say when crime is going to happen.”
The integrated camera system has nearly 4,000 registered cameras so far, and it is supposed to either give law enforcement information on who to reach out to if a crime occurred or real-time live pictures and video.
“It’s an after-the-fact situation, you know what I’m saying?" Whitley said. "It’s not going to prevent the crime from happening; a lot of people nowadays, they don’t care.”
Memphis business owners and homeowners alike are asking for more preventative measures instead of retroactive ones.
“I think they're focusing on the wrong situation right now," Whitley said. “Police presence is very necessary. We need the police in the communities, you know, riding around, making connections, figuring out who is who. Just getting familiar with who they're dealing with.”