Memphis, Tennessee, once known for its blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll music, has now become a haven for crime and drug abuse.
TO study by WalletHub has named the southern city the most dangerous city to live in the United States among the 182 cities surveyed.
The United States Department of Justice also declared that this once flourishing metro has the highest number of homicides: 129 in the first half of 2024.
Apart from this, in the first half of 2024, 167 rapes, 1,028 robberies and 3,763 incidents of aggravated assault were reported in Memphis.
This cultural hotspot also has a crime rate of 98 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is significantly higher in comparison to many other cities in the country.
A WalletHub study named Memphis the most dangerous city to live in in the United States among the 182 cities surveyed.
The United States Department of Justice also declared that this once-burgeoning metro has the highest number of homicides: 129 in the first half of 2024.
Violent crime cases are also higher in Memphis compared to the national average: a staggering 24.37 per 1,000 people.
In September, Justin Johnson was convicted of killing Memphis rapper Young Dolph in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison.
Prosecutors had argued during the trial that Johnson and another man, Cornelius Smith, opened fire outside Makeda’s Cookie Shop, where the rapper, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr., was buying candy for his mother.
Two months ago, a babysitter and babysitter were accused of beating a little girl so brutally that she was bleeding from the rectum before her death.
The US Department of Justice also declared that this once prosperous city has the highest number of homicides: 129 in the first half of 2024.
Justin Johnson was found guilty of murder Thursday in the shooting death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph.
Kiya Moore, 21, and her boyfriend Dejon Smith, 34, were charged with first-degree murder after Kali Moore, Moore’s one-year-old niece, was found dead.
Doctors said he had a fractured skull and neck, massive bruising on his back and rectal bleeding when they examined his body.
Further examination uncovered a brain hemorrhage, a bruised kidney, elevated liver enzymes consistent with abdominal trauma, and blood in the lungs.
Speaking of the city’s overall violence, WalletHub writer and analyst Chip Lupo noted that the only way the city could reduce its criminal activity would be to invest in its “underserved communities.”
Kali Moore was pronounced dead after she was rushed to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis in August.
Kiya Moore, 21, and her boyfriend Dejon Smith, 34, were charged with first-degree murder. Moore is the baby’s aunt.
“Economic disparities, increased drug abuse and social disintegration tend to lead to higher crime rates among cities at the bottom of the rankings,” the expert told Newsweek.
‘Improving security at the national level is a complex task. A good start would be for local policymakers to advocate for greater investment in underserved communities through job creation, infrastructure improvements, and improved education, all of which can help level disparities and support the at-risk population in the community,’ he said.
“In addition, reforming police practices with an emphasis on transparency and strengthening community relations can also go a long way if implemented properly,” he added.
The study compared more than 180 cities across 41 key safety indicators, including home and community safety such as mass shootings, murders, assaults, robberies, drug poisonings, and traffic deaths; risk of natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfire risks; and financial security, including rates of underemployment, poverty, insurance, and fraud.
In addition to Memphis, the agency also named Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Louisiana’s Baton Rouge and New Orleans as some of America’s other dangerous cities.
