Murders
dents – the highest since 1993. With a then-population of 618,981, the city logged 198 murders that year for a murder rate of nearly 32, according to FBI statistics.
Janikowski’s rate is based on the Census Bureau’s 2015 population estimate of 655,770 residents in Memphis. The number will likely change when the Census Bureau releases its 2016 population estimate later this year. The FBI releases an annual report in the fall.
In its annual Crime in Tennessee report released this week, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation listed as few as 183 murders in Memphis.
A check of TBI’s online crime statistics site on Friday listed 190 murders for Memphis. Janikowski says he understands there is some complication reading information between the TBI and MPD. A spokesperson for MPD did not respond to a request from The Commercial Appeal to interview an official from its crime analysis unit.
Janikowski said time will tell how challenging Memphis’ murder problem really is.
“That’s one year of data. That’s the problem. No criminologist wants to make any kind of conclusion based on one year’s data. It could be just a statistical anomaly,’’ he said. “The next couple months are going to be critical.” According to Janikowski, the city incurred a 17 percent decrease in murders in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Activist Chatman said the city will have to dig deep to combat what he sees as runaway gang and gun violence.
“The youth are killing youth,” he said. “But there is an answer.”