MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Think crime in Memphis is down? You're wrong. Truth is it's on rise. Certain crimes in some parts of the city are up 100, 200, even 300 percent.
Why is it happening? What neighborhoods have the biggest increases?
Police will tell you crime is down. If you look at the five year average, it is. But if you compare the numbers from this year to last, truth is citywide it's up almost 10 percent. In some areas of town it's up much more than that.
"Crime is up everywhere," noted Frayser resident, Nathaniel Alexander.
He's concerned about bad guys committing crimes in his neighborhood. Crime in Frayser is up almost 20 percent this year.
If you drill down to specific crimes in Frayser, the numbers go higher.
Aggravated assault is up 25 percent. Larceny, which includes shoplifting and theft of items from cars, is up 32 percent. Non-residential burglaries are up 46 percent.
Alexander said, "Frayser is just on the map to get a bad rap."
But it's not just Frayser.
In the Cordova area, Appling Farms Police Station reports auto theft up 44 percent.
In Midtown, aggravated assault is up 52 percent.
Downtown has seen some of the biggest increases. Business robberies are up 200 percent. Non-residential burglaries are up 366 percent.
Though one might argue those statistics are skewed because there is less crime in the downtown area compared to other parts of the city, Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong admits, "We are slightly up."
Director Armstrong is aware of the crime increase and says truth is, the mild winter is to blame.
"Usually our numbers dip in the winter and go up in the summer, but this winter didn't get a cold winter and we're seeing the result of that now," he said.
Jobs, the economy, there are a lot of reasons crime can be up. Everybody's looking for a quick buck.
Alexander has his own thoughts about why the crime is up and has a message for all those criminals.
"I say call on Jesus. I feel safe because I got Jesus on my side."
The good news, in some parts of the city certain types of crime have plummeted.
But summer is just around the corner, and police say truth is that's when they're really busy.
