"Last year — 2022 — murders were down about 16%; aggravated assaults down 7% or so," says Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland on this week's channel 10 Behind the Headlines. "This year, murders are up over 30% and aggravated assaults are [also] up," he says.
Strickland contends that a "revolving door" for criminals in the judicial system, in conjunction with an uptick in crime, is a consequence of a lack of funding and transparency, as well as the notion that there are "little to no consequences to illegal acts."
Joining host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries for Behind the Headlines, Strickland discusses some of the ways the City of Memphis is trying to decrease the crime rate, including testing out a youth curfew this summer in the Downtown area.
In addition, Strickland talks about the mayoral residency requirement, Memphis in May, a new sports arena, and more.