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Memphis, Tennessee – A pastor is deducing that his city is the “city of murder” of the United States, believing that national crime statistics and media rhetoric distort reality.
“Memphis is not the murder capital of America,” Pastor Keith Norman of the First Baptist Church in Memphis told Fox News Numbers. “I don’t think Memphis is a threatening place at all. I find it a place I like to call home.”
Norman Brist was the director of FBI Kash Patel described Memphis as the “Homic Capital” in May.
“When you bring a high-profile person … out on the national forum of the National News Program, it does have a negative impact,” Norman said. It affects the economy, tourism and the psychological narrative of people who want to visit this space or actually live in this space.”
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Rev. Keith Norman of First Baptist Church is in Memphis’s broad “Murder Capital” label while acknowledging the city’s criminal challenges. He praised the local police and called for more resources through education and work. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News figures.)
Tennessee The heavily populated cities have long been in a high-profile battle, with May Patel saying the country having the highest number of homicides per capita. In response, the FBI sent more than a dozen agents and intelligence personnel to Memphis this summer to assist local law enforcement.
“The FBI has actively worked with our Tennessee partners to build a dedicated task force and deploy resources to address crime in Memphis. Although this operation is still ongoing, we are committed to delivering results and look forward to sharing with the American people,” he said.
Tennessee Highway Patrol It can also improve the city’s operations, targeting reckless driving, illegal weapons and narcotics.
Norman said he and other residents appreciate the presence of state police officers.
“Visibility and consistency are the two most positive things,” he said. “When there is communication between all these law enforcement agencies, there is a better chance of saturating and saturating bad elements from the street.”
However, he delayed his view on Memphis as the most dangerous city in the United States, believing that federal data won’t consistently measure crime throughout metropolitan areas and could be framed to fit different narratives.
Memphis murders and other violent crimes have been declining, police said, although the city still accounts for nearly half of Tennessee’s 583 murders last year. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News figures.)
Alaska recorded the highest violent crime rate in the United States last year. Axios Analysis FBI data. Memphis is generally ranked No. 1 violent crime, but among the large cities, Memphis has the fourth highest murder rate per 100,000 residents, second only to Jackson, Mississippi. Birmingham, Alabama; and St. Louis, Missouri.
Axios reported that eight of the top ten cities with the highest murder rates were Republican-led states, but all except one of these cities were run by the Democratic mayor.
The red and blue gap has been magnified as President Donald Trump threatens to send National Guard troops to free cities such as Democratic states such as Chicago, Baltimore and Oakland.
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Asked in late August “Of course, he would consider sending the guards to cities in Republican-led states, but not many,” Trump said.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. Tell Fox News Numbers She would welcome her state troops.
“Blue cities like Memphis need all the help they can get to fight violent crime,” Blackburn said in a statement.
Amid back and forth politics, Memphis police say the city is getting safer.
According to the report on murders, shootings, robberies, assaults and overall crimes this year is related to 2024. Police data.
Last year, Memphis still lowered homicides in Tennessee’s 583 murders, although Memphis still accounts for half (250) of murders (250).
Soldiers often catch guns and drugs around Memphis. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, some guns have been linked to murders and other shootings. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News figures)
Norman said each of these deaths is a tragedy, with the consequences of deeper problems – including poverty, lack of education, unemployment and easy access to guns.
“We can do a lot of things in a positive way,” Norman said. “But if we just say, ‘Memphis has a crime problem, Memphis has a murder problem, and we won’t think about the possible resources we can bring from the federal and state level, then we’re going to repeat that narrative for years.”
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He believes that even if crime statistics improve, people won’t feel safer until police and media describe Memphis in different ways.
“The positive factor I hear is when we report that there is no crime on the weekend or that it is reported with different news,” he said.
“Memphis is a great place to live, work, relax, play and worship,” he added. “I see these potentials and huge possibilities still day after day.”
