MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – President Donald Trump said Memphis could become “virtually crime-free” within two months, but a criminologist says sustainable crime reduction is not that simple.
Since March 22, Memphis has recorded 21 aggravated assaults and two homicides in just four days. Nearly half of those incidents occurred the same day Trump made his claim about the Memphis Safe Task Force.
“Essentially, in another two months, you’re not going to have anything. You’re going to have a crime-free, a virtually crime-free city,” Trump said on March 22.
Wes Jennings, a criminologist and criminal justice professor at the University of Mississippi, said sustainable crime reduction does not happen that quickly.
“So, the idea of eradicating crime completely, that’s certainly a great goal, a lofty goal. But in terms of kind of tempering that with what was the crime level historically in the last six months, 12 months, one year, five years? Now, what could be done in these in a few months in order to drastically reduce crime? That is more of a goal that makes sense in terms of relating it to a historical context of the crime problems,” Jennings said.
He compared the situation to a DUI checkpoint.
“If you put a DUI checkpoint up on Main Street, all of a sudden, you’re going to likely catch more DUI offenders on Main Street. And once that’s publicized, all of a sudden DUI crime has gone down or maybe been eradicated on Main Street. Has crime really gone down or are people just now that are under the influence that are driving vehicles avoiding Main Street?” Jennings said.
Jennings said crime can be episodic, structural or environmental. Leaders and activists say Memphis’ crime issue is systemic.
“And in terms of, to your point about the systemic nature of it, you can’t just throw money and/or people or personnel at a problem alone,” he said. “Certainly an investment, you know, in resources, you know, for a short period of time, like a saturation effect can have a dampening effect or obviously, in terms of improving reductions in crime. But the idea you also have to be working on other sides and angles and elements related to the crime issues if you want to have true and meaningful sustainable change.”
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