Violent crime in Memphis is at a 15-year low, according to data released this week by the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute and the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.
The report shows that violent crime in the city — including murder, rape, and robbery — is 5.2 percent lower than it was in 2011. The countywide violent crime rate is 8.7 percent lower than in 2011, the year with the lowest violent crime rate in recent years.
Violent crime peaked in Memphis in 2023. Compared to the first half of that year, the violent crime rate is down by 45.0 percent in Memphis and 44.0 percent in all of Shelby County.
From January to June 2026, violent crime in Memphis was 31.5 percent lower than the same period last year, and 30.4 percent lower across the county.
The decreased crime rates follow months of crime rate drops in Shelby County and come nearly a year after the Memphis Safe Task Force began operations.
The overall crime rate from January to June 2026 was down 23.8 percent in Memphis and 23.7 percent countywide when compared to statistics from 2025, according to the data originally collected by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The report includes data on violent crime, property crime, firearm offenses, and domestic violence offenses. All categories showed declines.
Overall property crimes dropped by 40.6 percent in Memphis and 40.2 percent in the county compared to the same period last year. Property crime includes burglary, vehicle theft, and other felony thefts. Similarly, firearm offenses dropped by 5.7 percent in Memphis and 5.9 percent in the county when compared to 2025.
While domestic violence offenses decreased by 35.1 percent in Memphis and 34.8 percent across the county, the report recognizes the difficulty in gathering accurate data on crimes of this nature because it tends to occur in the home, behind closed doors.
However, a plan to give better resources to victims of domestic violence and hold perpetrators more accountable was revealed last week by the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute.
