MEMPHIS, Tenn — As break-ins, car thefts, and other violent crimes continue to rise across Memphis, police believe its surveillance program, the Connect 2 Memphis Program, could help more businesses and homeowners as law enforcement work to identify thieves.
However, longtime Frayser resident Valerie Wright said she’s requested help from city, county, and police leadership and is left with more questions than answers.
"I feel defeated," Wright said. “I feel that public safety should extend way beyond the boundaries of downtown and Beale Street. Neighborhoods need to be protected as well.”
Wright said she reached out to city, county, and police leadership but no action has been taken. She said as a taxpayer, she deserves a sense of security and that starts with better police presence in her neighborhood.
"Memphis City Council has an annual camera program (Sentinel) where council makes a bulk purchase of cameras and divides them between seven districts," Wright read from an email she said she received from MPD.
Part of that email goes on to say, “MPD is moving away from utility pole cameras and camera ownership in general. Advances in technology now allow for MPD to connect third-party owned cameras to MPD’s real-time crime center.”
Memphis Police told ABC24 this technology, the “Connect 2 Memphis” program, is currently leading to a 12% decrease in aggravated assault, auto theft, burglaries, and robberies.
But Wright said the program is not as accessible to all Memphians as it seems. For some, it’s the additional personal cost among other things.
“Sometimes the home cameras don’t work, depending on your internet speed, depending on a lot of factors," Wright said. "We would sleep easier if we knew we were being monitored by the MPD with the cameras.”