Memphis had the highest murder rate of 2023 in a comparison of 10 major cities identified as “homicide hubs” within the United States, according to an analysis published Wednesday.
The only Tennessee city tracked for the Wirepoints report, Memphis had a murder rate of 63.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2023. A total of 397 homicides were reported in the city last year, up by 38 percent from 2022, when the city saw 288 homicides.
Memphis’ murder rate exceeded the murder rate of Chicago, which reported 23.2 murders per 100,000 people, and Philadelphia, which saw 26 murders per 100,000 people. The city also fared worse than cities with a similar or lower population, with the murder rate in Memphis also exceeding the murder rates of Baltimore, Detroit, and New Orleans.
The findings follow those of the Memphis Crime Commission, which revealed in September that Memphis had already seen a 42.2 percent increase in murders.
In the same report, it was revealed Memphis suffered a 9.6 percent increase in overall crime, driven by a 26 percent increase in major property crime and a 5 percent increase in major violent crime.
By November, the city had already broken a 2021 record for the number of homicides in the year as Memphis recorded its 352nd homicide of the year.
Memphis went on to record its first homicide of 2024 on January 1, as Mayor Paul Young was set to be inaugurated. Young referenced the murder in remarks made during his inauguration, declaring that such news stories set a poor “narrative” for the city.
Following the fatal November shooting of St. Jude research doctor Alexander Bulakhov, a “hard-hitting crime plan” was promised by Young within his first 100 days in office. Young pledged to “combat this lawlessness” with “a multi-pronged, hard hitting, and focused effort” to restore public safety in Memphis.
The nationally recognized spike in Memphis’ homicide rate comes as the city’s police department struggles to recruit and retain police officers. In 2023, it was reported that the number of Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers declined by 22.6 percent, with 2,499 officers reporting for duty in 2011 and just 1,895 in 2022.
Since then, State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) wrote to Governor Bill Lee (R) requesting support for the city, which he said was under “siege” from its criminal element. Shortly after, Lee ordered an additional 65 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to monitor state roads and highways in the city “for the foreseeable future.”
Amid Memphis’ years-long struggle with crime, more than 30,000 residents have left the city since 2017. A recent report revealed Memphis saw its population decline by about 5 percent in just five years. Memphis was the only major Tennessee city to see its population shrink.
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to pappert.tom@proton.me.
Photo “Memphis Police Van” by Thomas R Machnitzki. CC BY 3.0.
