MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new set of Memphis Police Department (MPD) initiatives were launched on Memorial Day in an effort to cut down on violent crime the city has seen so far this year.
Over the holiday weekend there were at least nine shootings, which killed one person and injured 14 others, including two children 2 and 15-years-old. So far in 2023, there have been 154 homicides and over 6,400 car thefts according to MPD.
For some Memphians, there is concern crime will continue to increase over the summer.
“It does spike during the summer,” said Amesha Davis, a Memphis resident, “We’re not in the same COVID times anymore, so it’s a chance for people to get out more.”
Car thefts alone jumped more than 150% over what they were in 2022, and it is part of the reason why MPD is rolling out several new safe summer initiatives.
Their goal, is to cut down on gun related crimes, car thefts and stealing from cars.
A partnership is being carried out along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol to help cut down on traffic violations and drag racing, which MPD has said typically spikes this time of year.
Businesses are also being asked to share access to their outdoor cameras to help cut down on crime and burglaries. Memphians may start to notice more police patrols at apartment complexes, restaurants and other hot spots where shootings tend to happen.
A family living in Midtown told ABC24, they were appreciative of the additional presence they had seen. Still, other people said they want to make sure MPD is enforcing these initiatives across the city — not just in certain neighborhoods.
"You got to do it for everybody," Tony Davis said. "You can’t just do it for one person, or a group of people."
“Crime doesn’t just happen in the urban neighborhoods,” said Amesha Davis, “I live in an urban neighborhood. It doesn’t just happen there. It happens in other places, so if we’re policing one part, we need to police everybody.”
A focus has recently been put on establishing more educational and creative summer activities for the students who are out of school this week. Davis said, while this is important, these activities need to be accessible for all families.
“I’m a parent. I’m a mom. I work, so a lot of times I’m not able to take my daughter to do certain things,” said Davis, “If we made it more accessible for those kids [and] more affordable for those parents, I think a lot of people would be more involved.”
Memphis police will be present at different community events throughout the summer. The department will share crime trends, and host discussions about how to address them.
MPD will also host its own summer camp, which it hopes will help cut down on juvenile crime. The camp is expected to start June 5.
