Crime seems to be on everyone's radar more and more these days in the city of Memphis.
At the tail end of most crime-focused news reports, viewers will often hear the "push" to call an organization called "CrimeStoppers" while being asked if they anything that could lead to an arrest or help solve a crime.
One Memphian who lost a friend to violence said he's frustrated with this system as it is now. He's calling on city leaders, new and old, to make changes.
"There’s election time coming," Arturo Colunga said. "There’s new mayors, new people in city council. It’s their job to put order and peace."
For Arturo Colunga, the last few weeks have been everything but peaceful. He said after he lost his long-time friend, David Cervantes, there's been no word for three weeks.
“If the same situation were to arise, and he knew he was going to lose his life, he would do it all over again without even thinking about it,” Colunga siad.
Cervantes was near the AutoZone store in Raleigh, looking for work like several other workers would do on a regular basis, Colunga said.
“Somebody was trying to rob a shoe salesman here, and my friend was here at the time, and he tried to aid the person that was getting robbed," Colunga said. "He ended up getting shot.”
No one has come forward with information regarding the shooting despite the amount of witnesses at the scene.
"It makes me sad, and it also makes me angry," Colunga said. "It makes me angry because nobody wants to talk — nobody wants to say what happened.”
Memphis CrimeStoppers started in 1982 and, according to the latest data shared by officials, the hotline has seen about a 30 percent uptick in calls.
Still, regarding Arturo’s friend, the line is silent so far. Arturo said it’s because of the widening gap of mistrust from Memphians amid seemingly never-ending violent crime.
Despite some officials stating that crime is being reduced, Colunga said that more needs to be done.
"If police keep us safe, what makes them think if they come forward, their lives are not in jeopardy," he said.
Colunga pleas for change after the loss of David Cervantes.
“I hope that these new candidates, whoever ends up being mayor has this mind," Colunga said. "They really have to amp it up when it comes to keeping us safe on the streets."
Still, many others continue to lose their lives due to violent crime in Memphis.
“Maybe [we need to] get more involved in the community," Colunga said. "[Maybe we need] more police neighborhood watches.”