NEWS

portions of this article appear in the January-February issue of Up on Downtown

On January 14th, the Uptown community hosted a meeting with 6th Precinct commander Colonel Arley Knight and Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich. The topic was an update on the recent crime trends in Uptown and on Mud Island. Col. Knight spoke on the recent impact of juvenile crime in Uptown and how the citizens needed to report any and all suspicious activities – particular juveniles seen out during school hours. He noted that crime decreases when criminals worry about being identified by police and citizens.

The specific case of discussion was a recent rash of break-ins in Uptown. The police had a suspect – a juvenile – that they had arrested on suspicion of at least two incidents. The suspect went through the detainment and hearing processes in Juvenile Court but was later released due to his age. Within weeks, he was back in police custody, this time picked on at the scene of the crime and literally red-handed; blooded from a window he broke to gain entry. As of this meeting, he has been tied to four burglaries and has a court date assigned. Even with all this, Colonel Knight said that if the victims of these crimes did not appear in court, he would likely avoid prosecution once again.

Knight reported that Harbor Town suffered a string of burglaries over Christmas. Most all were cases where the victims where out of town. He stressed the importance for always making your home look occupied when away, especially when away for an extended period. While not official, he speculated that he felt it was no coincidence that these homes were broken into while the residents were away. He noted that maintenance and service crews have many opportunities to know when homes and apartments are not occupied. He gave a quick run-down of what citizens could do to protect their properties when away; keep your homes well lit, have a friend or neighbor pick up papers and mail, and if you have the option, obtain a monitored alarm. Colonel Knight recommended that we record the serial numbers of electronics - and especially firearms. While these may not mean that you will see your stolen possessions again, these measures help law enforcement track these items in the future and prosecutors obtain convictions. He recommended strong neighborhood watch groups with regular meetings with law enforcement to share information and discuss trends. Each group would undoubtedly have information valuable to the other and the regular exchange helps police in establishing patterns. He noted that every community has different crimes affecting it; from theft to vandalism, and he felt they were equally important and should be treated with the same amount of policing.

Should we find ourselves victims of a break-in, Colonel Knight said that it was crucial that police be allowed to collect evidence from an undisturbed crime scene. Even though it may be human nature, we should avoid cleaning up or handling items until the police have fully processed the scene. He noted that he required that officers take fingerprints of all home and vehicle break-ins and a good reason be given by any officer should this have not been performed. Prints help build data bases, and data helps to secure arrests and convictions. He went on to say that reporting all crimes helps the commanders determine where to staff officers in Downtown.

Everyone was encouraged to sign up for Cyberwatch and monitor criminal activities within a mile of their homes. To sign up for Cyberwatch, go to https://kiosk.memphispolice.org/cyberwatch/cyberwatch_signup.html. He noted that the closer you set the parameters to your location, the more information important to your neighborhood is presented in the reports. 

District Attorney General Amy Weirich spoke next and noted that “Phase II” of the Operation Safe Community (http://www.memphiscrime.org/) would be announced in the next couple of weeks.  She said that the DA’s office was committed to prosecuting juvenile crime, even to getting serious criminals tried as adults where the offense merited the need for a stronger and longer sentence. The best means to obtain a conviction of these juveniles is for witnesses and victims to attend the court hearings and be willing to testify. DA Weirich stated that while her prosecutors were doing all they could to work with the juvenile courts, the only way to stop offender from going immediately back on the streets is by following through and letting the judges know that the citizens have had enough.

The highest crimes still affectingShelbyCountywere Youth Crimes (those aged 26 and under) and Domestic Violence. It was clear that DA Weirich had no tolerance for Domestic Violence offenders. She went so far as to relabel these offenses as “Community Violence” and gave the sad example of the shooting last July 4th where a domestic dispute on Beale Street escalated to the point that a veteran police officer was gunned down in a Downtown hotel when responding to what should have been a routine call. The routine ended in tragedy for his family, his fellow officers, and the community.

DA Weirich turned then to the victims of such violence and announce that there would soon be the opening of the new Family Safety Center (www.fscmemphis.com) at 1790Madison to provide services to the victims of domestic crime. Where these services currently exist spread out in various locations, for the first time they would be under one roof to allow the full processing of victims. She noted that this also removed the victims from 201 Poplar where their victimizer is likely also being arraigned.

On a more positive note, DA Weirich reported that crime in Memphis is down 26% and is actually being studied by international policing agencies. Downtown leads the way in the Metropolitan area. This garnered a strong applause from the audience.

Colonel Knight closed the meeting by letting us know that in addition to 911 (serious crimes) and 544-COPS (MPD dispatcher), the residents of the 6th precinct could call the station’s front desk at 901-636-4099, and by pressing “0” talk directly to the desk officer. This would allow for a response without going through the  MPD dispatcher and the ability for us to report  “suspicious activities” with the more likelihood of a patrol officer’s quick response. 

While all this information was good, the one single thing that impressed DNA most about this community meeting was the immediate attention that Colonel Knight and DA Weirich gave to any citizen that reported that they felt they were not getting the attention that they needed. There were several business cards and telephone numbers exchanged and it was clear that this was the way that citizens and law enforcement were meant to interact. Colonel Knight told DNA that he would love nothing more to meet with all of Downtown’s community groups and talk one-on-one about what we, as citizens, can do to stay ahead of the bad guys. As he put it, “let’s talk about crime.”

- Ken Hudson