MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Mid-South may finally have an answer to crime: cold weather.
Investigators told WREG as the temperatures dropped, so did the crime rate.
“Quiet has been the operative word in terms of what we’ve experienced over the last couple of days,” Chip Washington with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said. “I think the weather’s played a role in that. It’s been pretty cold, and i think folks have stayed inside and tried to stay warm rather than the alternative.”
Washington called it one of the few pluses to this icy, winter weather.
“I think to myself, from a criminal’s perspective…If you’re going to rob somebody, it’s a little cold to be out waiting and lurking in the bushes and trees,” he said.
Officers with the Memphis Police Department said calls are down the last two days. They said their sex crimes division only had two reports Monday.
While the cold lingers on, Washington said they will enjoy this relatively peaceful period.
“We don’t see this kind of activity very often. So, we’re appreciative for anything we can get,” he said.
However, when the weather warms up, he said they’ll be ready for whatever comes.
WREG also asked to do an interview with Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong about the drop in calls, but were told he wasn’t available.
