MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Across Memphis, it’s been a violent week at several convenience stores in the city. Over the past few days, you’ve heard the urgency of police officers searching for gun-toting suspects robbing stores and in some cases firing shots and wounding workers.
This week, Memphis Police Maj. Rodney Adair talked about the search for suspects.
“As long as he’s out, we’ve put our cars in areas where he may hit again. We’re keeping a watch on all convenience stores in this area,” Adair said.
That’s as customers such as Johnny Wilson search for answers.
“It’s just sad though you know what I’m saying somebody just comes in takes what you’re working hard for and you’re not bothered anybody,” Wilson said.
For example, Monday morning four different convenience stores were robbed within an hour of one another. The robbery at the Citgo gas station on Cherry Road in East Memphis is the same one where a clerk was shot and killed last month.
As officers investigate a string of robberies, WREG asked interim police director Mike Rallings what his department is doing right now about the problem.
“We have reallocated resources. We are working with our multiagency gang unit and our organized crime unit to dedicate more officers to the street,” Rallings said.
These days the streets of Memphis have about 400 fewer officers on the police force. Still, the police director said there are ways to work around the manpower shortage and go after criminals robbing stores.
“We are going to do all we can to apprehend those individuals and with our new team to look at those business robberies, our investigative service unit partnering with Safe Streets (task force) to aggressively go after these individuals,” Rallings said.
Police also advise store owners and employees to do their part in working with law enforcement.
“We ask business leaders to re-evaluate their business plan, their security plans and work with law enforcement to make their property safer,” Rallings said.