MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission claims that the rate of violent crimes in Memphis and Shelby has dropped since last year.

According to the latest report from the Crime Commission, the number of reported major violent crimes in Memphis has declined by 8.8% compared to the first few months of 2024. This includes reports of rape, aggravated assault, robbery, and murder.

The Crime Commission’s report also claims that reports of major property crime in Memphis, including burglary, theft, and vehicle thefts, have declined by 19.7%.

The Commission’s report states that while reports of drug/narcotic violations have declined by 3.3%, weapon law violations have increased by 6.7%.

According to the Commission, reports of major violent crime in the greater Shelby County area have dipped by 9%, while reports of major property crime have dropped by 19.5%.

Crime Commission Executive Director Bill Gibbons released a statement on the findings.

The trend lines continue to be encouraging. We have a long way to go, though, to get where we need to be. Now is not the time to slow down but rather time to scale up and sustain best practices we know can work, such as focusing on those responsible for much of our crime, intervening to head off violent acts of retaliation, and data-driven hot spot policing.

The Crime Commission is working to recruit more officers, saying that statistics show that the more Memphis Police officers that are on the force, the less crime is committed.

The Memphis City Council has set a goal of 2,500 officers.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young has also named a new public safety advisor, announcing that former Memphis Police Colonel Darren M. Goods has taken the role.