Justice system too lenient on offenders, according to survey by Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission has released the results of a survey of the public on crime concerns in the Mid-South.

The commission said the survey of 400 registered voters took place in mid-January, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies with the Carter Malone Group consulting. They said it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9%.

Here’s a look at how people responded:

Demographics of respondents:

• 63% - Memphis residents
  • 60% - African American
  • 31% - White
  • 8% - Other or refused identification
• 37% - other parts of Shelby County
  • 47% - African American
  • 47% - White
  • 6% - Other or refused identification

Ranking of priorities:

1. Crime – 57%
   • Most pressing:
     1. Gun violence
     2. Juvenile crime
     3. Vehicle thefts
2. Education – 13%
3. Jobs/economy – 11%

The crime commission said 30% of respondents, regardless of demographic group, felt the criminal justice system offers “a lot (4%) or some (26%) of support to victims of crime and their families, while 64% felt the system offers a little support (25%) or not much support at all (40%).”

The survey found 57% of people they spoke with thought the justice system was too lenient on adult offenders, and 63% felt it was too lenient on juvenile offenders.

The full report on the survey is available on the Crime Commission website at https://memphiscrime.org/public-safety-poll-results/.