Star Staff Reports
Reported major property crime continues its downward trend, with Jan-August 2014 being down 4.7 percent countywide and 4.3 percent in the city of Memphis, compared to the same period in 2013. It was down 33.2 percent countywide and 30.2 percent in Memphis, compared to the same period in 2006, which was the baseline year for Operation: Safe Community. Major property crimes include burglaries, motor vehicle thefts and other felony theft offenses. Reported domestic violence crime for Jan-August 2014 compared to the same period in 2013 was down 7.2 percent countywide and 7.8 percent in Memphis. While data going back to 2006 is not available for reported domestic violence offenses, Operation: Safe Community has begun tracking this crime category and uses 2011 as a baseline year. Compared to the 2011 baseline year, reported domestic violence crime was down 14.1 percent countywide and 14.3 percent in Memphis. Domestic violence offenses include homicides, all assaults, kidnapping/abduction, and all forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, based upon victim to offender relationships. Reported major violent crime, on the other hand, continues its upwards push since March of this year. The January-August 2014 violent crime rate has increased by 8.1 percent countywide and 7.7 percent in the city of Memphis, compared to the same period in 2013. However, in spite of increases this year, compared to the baseline year 2006 the violent crime rate for the January-August period in 2014 is down 17.3 percent countywide and 12.9 percent in Memphis, due to other periods of reduction since 2006. Major violent crimes include murder, forcible rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies.
About the Crime Statistics. The Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report uses data reported by local enforcement agencies to TIBRS. TIBRS is the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System, which was developed and is maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. An incident is defined in TIBRS as “one or more offenses committed by the same offender, or group of offenders acting in concert, at the same time and place.” The domestic violence reported offenses however, uniquely refer to a victim count versus an incident count. All state and local law enforcement agencies must report crime data to TIBRS on a monthly basis. The crime categories used in the report are designed to parallel the categories used by the FBI in its annual UCR report. Richard Janikowski, Principal of Strategic City Solutions, produces the report for the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.
