Just 100 days into the year, the Memphis Police Department reported on Tuesday that it recorded the city’s 100th homicide of 2024.
Memphis Police Department (MPD) Chief CJ Davis (pictured above) revealed on Tuesday that her department recorded 100 homicides on April 9, coinciding with the 100th day of 2024, as part of a public safety update delivered to the Memphis City Council.
The department noted the city has seen an increasing homicide trend over the past five years, with 399 recorded in 2023 despite a slight decline in 2022.
About half of homicides in the city were started by a disagreement, MPD officials explained, while 11 percent were as a result of robberies and 1 percent were gang motivated. The motive for an additional 37 percent of homicides remains unknown.
According to MPD officials, the city is currently on track to see 391 homicides by the end of 2024.
While analysts found Memphis had the highest homicide rate in the United States in 2023, police claim the city’s clearance rate for homicide cases is 53 percent, while the nationwide average is 54 percent.
Councilman Chase Carlisle did not dispute the department’s homicide clearance rate, but requested MPD provide a written definition for its clearance rate in order to determine whether it differs from the one used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Memphis continues to struggle with crime under Mayor Paul Young, who previously pledged to unveil a series of tough-on-crime police policies within his first 100 days in office.
Young made the promise after the murder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital employee Alexander Bulakhov, who relocated to Memphis to work as a researcher before he was shot during an attempted robbery while walking with his wife and child.
Last month, Young announced that he met with a number of Memphis gang leaders in a bid to broker a seven-day ceasefire and bring order to the city. He did not indicate the talks were successful, but said gang members cited an alleged lack of economic opportunities and after school programs as well as their concerns about opposing gangs breaking the truce.
In January, Young appeared with State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), and other local leaders to unveil Sexton’s push for a constitutional amendment to reform bail in Tennessee.
At the press conference, Young expressed a desire for “bipartisan collaboration” to address crime.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
