Memphis, Tennessee, once known for its blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll music, has now turned into a haven for crime and drug abuse.
A study by WalletHub has named the Southern city the most dangerous city to live in America 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, 167 rapes, 1,028 robberies and 3,763 incidents of aggravated assault were reported in the first half of 2024 in Memphis.
This cultural hotspot also has a crime rate of 98 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is significantly higher compared to many other cities in the nation.
A study by WalletHub has named Memphis the most dangerous city to live in America 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
Cases of violent crime are also higher in Memphis as compared to the national average – a staggering 24.37 per 1,000 people.
In September, Justin Johnson was guilty of killing Memphis rapper Young Dolph in 2021 and sentenced him to serve life in prison.
Prosecutors had argued during the trial that Johnson and another man, Cornelius Smith, opened fire outside of Makeda’s Cookie Shop, where the rapper – whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr. – was buying treats for his mother.
Two months ago, a male and female babysitter were accused of beating an infant girl so badly she was bleeding from her rectum before her death.
The United States Department of Justice also declared that this once-flourishing city has the highest number of homicides – 129 in the first half of 2024.
Justin Johnson was found guilty of murder on 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 Moore’s one-year-old niece Kali Moore was found dead.
Doctors said she had a skull and neck fracture, massive bruising on her back and rectal bleeding when they examined her body.
Further examination discovered a brain bleed, bruised kidney, high enzymes in her liver consistent with abdominal trauma and blood in her lungs.
Speaking to the overall violence of the city, Chip Lupo, a writer and analyst for WalletHub, noted that the only way the city could reduce its criminal activity would be by investing in its ‘underserved communities’.
Kali Moore was pronounced dead after she was 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, rising drug abuse, and social disintegration tend to lead to higher crime rates among the cities at the very bottom of the rankings,’ the expert told Newsweek.
‘Improving safety nationwide is a complex task. A good start would be for local policymakers to advocate for increased investment in underserved communities through job creation, upgrades in infrastructure, and improving education, all of which can help level disparities and support the community’s at-risk population,’ he said.
‘In addition, reforming policing 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 indicators of safety including home and community safety such as mass shootings, murders, assaults, thefts, drug poisoning, and traffic fatalities; natural disaster risk, including earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfire risks; and financial security, including underemployment rates, poverty, insurance and fraud.
Apart from Memphis, the agency also named Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Louisiana’s Baton Rouge and New Orleans as some of the other dangerous cities in America.
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