MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It’s life; crime will happen. When it hits your neighborhood, perception quickly does become reality.
A woman was recently shot and killed in a Cordova neighborhood as she simply stopped to pick up a friend.
Then routine shopping was disrupted by a band of thieves hitting five Cordova gas stations and businesses.
“Crime used to be that you find it more in the inner-city area,” East Memphis resident Nancy Jackson said. “Now it’s really heading to the suburbs, therefore its an issue for everybody now.”
We asked Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong about Cordova and what the police department is doing.
“We look at every single crime we have and come up with different crime initiatives on the fly,” he said. “If we find we have a lot of crimes in the mall, we address that. If it’s in the neighborhood, we address that.”
Despite what has happened, Armstrong claimed crime is down. Last year this time, there were 113 homicides in Memphis. So far this year there have been 94.
Memphis residents like Jackson see a discrepancy.
“Regardless of what the numbers are, it’s an issue,” she said. “We shouldn’t have on a weekend five killings and people maimed.”
So, Cordova residents play it safe.
“Seems like it’s in general getting worse,” Cordova resident Hunter Naylor said. “You do what you can. Pay attention to your surroundings when you are going to your car. Try not to go to a store or gas station after dark, that sort of thing.”
Many know crime is happening all over and they have to fight back.
“Crime is everywhere,” Cordova resident Dedrick Richey said. “Every state, everywhere that we travel. Look at the local news and you see it everywhere. I don’t think it’s any different here than anywhere else in the United States.”