Why is crime so high in Memphis (Martin: rental, how much)

[Pearlbob]

What do you suggest for those of us do to try and "make a change" here? One person, or 1000 people, cannot change the mindsets of 600,000 other people. I have my own job and my own family to worry about. I have done a lot of volunteer work in the past, but it was a lot of time and effort for zero rewards. To think you are helping out, just to see the same kids/parents make the same mistakes over and over and not give a damn if you are trying to help at all. To clean up a city park just to see it's filled with trash and by the next week. Altruism is something that is very noble, but it is something that wears you down and exhausts you when you try and try and realize you're the only one who cares. You can't help those that don't want to be helped.

[iluvmem]

Point taken, Pearlbob. I do have more free time because of no family obligations. But, in my personal experiences, I have seen light bulbs go off in people's heads when the message got through. I have done city school tutoring, talked to adult education high school classes, and done more "career days" at schools than you can imagine. Working with adult ex-drug addicts has been my all time blessing. Getting the message through to women who are in their child-bearing years, and staying in contact with them as a support has given me hope. And yes, these are women who are asking for help. You're absolutely right, you can only help those who want help. Glass half empty? Nah, glass half full!!!!

[iluvmem]

Okay, first let's quantify safe. No crime (violent/petty) whatsoever? Nowhere in the U.S. comes to mind. Just petty crime? A little petty crime?
Most areas in the Memphis metropolitan area comes to mind. You said there were not many safe areas inside the city limits. Didn't say "not many crime-free areas inside the city limits". Not twisting your words. Again, what's safe?

Where are the majority of the section 8 homes in Memphis? North Memphis, South Memphis. You said these areas make up 90% of the crime in Memphis, statistically. I'm assuming that's all categories of crime. That leaves 10% for the rest of us. I know it's not as cut and dry as that, I just have a problem with you saying "not many safe areas inside the city limits." No knock on the burbs whatsoever.

[amberzach123]

lets just call it like it is folks.

memphis is a good place if you live in the right areas (germantown, cordova, collierville, arlington, lakeland) and if your children go to PRIVATE SCHOOLS. the public schools in memphis are probably some of the most dangerous places your children will ever go, plus they get a horrible education there. send them to private school. ENCOURAGE them to go away to college. that will make them safer. we have too many thugs around the university of memphis campus and it just is not a safe place. if you are thinking about moving to memphis, DON'T.

[heather21365]

These posts make me sad sometimes, particularly anything about the schools being part of the problem and the schools being dangerous. I went to Ridgeway Elementary and High, and I loved those schools about as much as a nerdy kid loves school. Granted, I know Ridgeway is generally considered one of the better city schools, but these days, that doesn't seem to mean much -- and I didn't graduate high school THAT long ago (under ten years ago, we'll put it that way). The worst I ever saw at Ridgeway was the occasional fight between students -- fist-fight, nothing involving anything metal.

I don't hate Memphis. I like Memphis a whole lot, and I have ties here, as I was born and raised here, and have much family living here (which is a good or a bad thing, depending on what day you ask me...but I digress). Would I rather live somewhere else? Possibly, but not really for crime reasons -- better job opportunities, my strange love of snow, etc.

Crime is high in Memphis because...because going from the government on down, no one seems to be able to gather together and give a collective whoop to change it. Areas that were comfortably middle class have now been abandoned into areas that most resemble martial law. If you find yourself in South Memphis during the daytime, drive through and look at some houses. These days, many are boarded up, with chipping paint. But look closer, and you'll see the remnants of what was once a family neighborhood, porches and all. It's sad.

...What happened?

[djcreep]

There seems to be much bickering going on all the Memphis posts. To the outsider reading these posts....we must look pretty bad. But I assure you all that not all Memphians are racists. Having lived in Memphis for 34 years I'm going to try to explain the problems memphians have endured for decades and continue to endure today. There is no doubt that things in memphis are too much about BLACK and WHITE. I am sure that the number one reason for this is directly related to the terrible terrible school system. (i said terrible twice bc it IS that bad). The white people have for the most part dodged this city school problem by moving in droves to the outlying areas. The african americans for the most part have been stuck in the failing school system. Well, it goes to reason that a large group of people stuck in a failing school system for years and years will produce an undesirable result. Higher crime rates, higher teen pregnancy rates...and a general lack of community and hope. Sometimes I would drive through certain areas of Memphis (predominately african american) and wonder...."why do people live like this? look at all the unkempt yards, the trash on the ground, where is the community pride?" And it could be easy to generalize.....african american neighborhood = filthy streets. Therein lies another one of Memphis' problems...to many people do generalize, not taking the time to look at the underlying problem. I think that most people do CARE about the neighborhood they live in but maybe they feel like one person cannot change what everyone in the neighborhood does....why should I pick up my trash when no one else is going to bother? White people see the filthy black neighborhoods and the crime and it scares them...so they move further out of the core of the city. I might add at this point that there are filthy white neighborhoods in Memphis also, and they are also in the city school districts (nutbush-frayser). This tells me that the core issue has nothing to do with race, just education. But this is where the nasty cycle starts. Whites feel nervous so they move, blacks see the whites moving to nicer areas with nicer schools and they feel jilted. Tensions build....because even though the whites and blacks don't live together in the same neighborhoods...they do still work together in the same city. The black guy sees the white guy in the BMW next to him at a stoplight and gets angry because he doesn't feel like he has had the same opportunities as that white guy. The white guy sees the black guy in the store and gets angry because the black guy seems to have a chip on his shoulder....he has a you owe me attitude. Anyone reading this may think, "those problems are everywhere...not just Memphis". But unless you have lived here and experienced this vibe...you just don't understand. It is real and it is prevalent. Memphis has to focus on SCHOOLS if it wants to be a bearable community. And people may argue....WHAT ABOUT THE PARENTS? And yes, that is a big problem....but i'm willing to bet that the education issue will help alleviate the irresponsible parents issue. Too much finger pointing and blaming have taken the focus off of the only solution.
I love memphis and i hope things change, I will always be a Memphian, but now i'm a Memphian who resides in Nashville. People in memphis will defend that city to no end, and I understand that....people love an underdog. But I finally had to leave, because as much as i hated to admit it, it was time to go. The reason? Not because of the heat, not because of the racial tension, not because of the terrible mayor or the horrific schools, I left for one reason...too dangerous.

[Huckleberry3911948]

read the moderator post ditto.
i love memphis dont get me wrong. i read the bridemaid profile, its blank.
anybody from memphis would know why crime is high. where you from?
can you give me an idea of where you are comin from? fyi i am non white.

[redwine]

Originally Posted by DeLaSalle

Check the Racial Demographic...
What does: Detroit, DC, NOLA, Atlanta, Gary, Miami have in common...Hmmm
What do you think...

That's right. But their are still people that thinks Denial is a river in Egypt.

[redwine]

Originally Posted by MissCee

Hello! Excuse me! I'm a native Memphian and yes the crime rate is high just like any other metropolitan area but you cannot blame all crime on BLACK people in Memphis. I grew up in the sububurbs of Memphis around WHITE people and they commit just as much crime, inner city and outer city, as BLACK people, you just don't see it on prime time news! Cordova is an area mixed with BLACKS and WHITES, check out what's going on at Cordova High! How about just taking a visit to some of these areas. Funny how you never hear of any criminal activity in Germantown, you know why, because it's not publicized! It's a predominately WHITE part of town. The media gives you a certain mindset by only telling you what they want you to hear. So before you go blaming things on a particular race of people, please do the proper research and don't be so quick to assume!

So the MEDIA is racist?

[simcity]

After reading this thread I'm convinced that crime within the city of Memphis will likely increase with time. I own one gun (a glock, had it for 6 years and I've never shot it), yet I feel that one is not enough. What if my gun is downstairs and I'm upstairs during a break-in (or vice versa)? I'm thinking an HK MP5K would provide that extra level of comfort desired:



In the near term, we can look forward to spike in crime thanks to the following stimuli: big recession coming, flat to lower wages, and higher than normal inflation making everything from bread to gas more expensive. If Memphis isn't a safe place now, just imagine what chaos could come with more negative pressure.

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

read the moderator post ditto.
i love memphis dont get me wrong. i read the bridemaid profile, its blank.
anybody from memphis would know why crime is high. where you from?
can you give me an idea of where you are comin from? fyi i am non white.

Rofl, this post doesn't make any sense to me.