On the map

Heidingsfield, CEO and president of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, is one of many people who fight violent crime in Memphis, but that mission is becoming tougher.

From 2003 to 2004 violent crime in Memphis dropped 1.6 percent. However, from 2004 to 2005 violent crime has jumped 16 percent, the first time since 2001 crime has increased.

Both Memphis and the U.S. saw large-percentage increases in violent crime in 2005, according to FBI statistics. However, Memphis on average has nearly four times as many violent crimes per 100,000 people as the national average.

Violent crimes - classified as aggravated assault, murder or non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape and robbery - occurred more than 12,000 times in Memphis last year. In relation to the population of Memphis, that's 1,860 violent crimes per 100,000 people. The national average is 469 incidents per 100,000.

"There is a confluence of events that contribute," said Heidingsfield. "Gang influence and gang growth is on the up tick - there is no question about that. There is a thug ethos, where the wrong people are becoming role models. Violence is becoming sport and in argument situations the gun is becoming the first alternative for everyone. And a generation of career criminals is coming out of jail."

Clint Bratton may be a victim of that confluence. Violent crime recently reared its head in Bratton's East Memphis neighborhood. A few days before Halloween, a car moving slowly down a street in his neighborhood caught Bratton's attention. The 64 year old had just arrived home after playing tennis. After leaving his home to run an errand later, Bratton was waved down by the driver of that slow moving car.

"It was a kid waving," he said. "It was a friendly wave."

The youth in the car asked for directions to a nearby street. Bratton got out of his car to show him how to get there.

"He was very pleasant," Bratton said.

Bratton turned his back to point in the direction of the street and when he turned back again, he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

"His whole manner and demeanor had changed," he said. "It was very interesting."

The assailant demanded Bratton's wallet, which he had left inside his car. Bratton was pushed aside as the gunman made his way to the car to take the wallet.

Weeks after the incident, Bratton seemed to be unshaken. However, his neighbors felt differently and have put up their house for sale.

According to Bob Tutt, a 25-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department, Bratton is lucky he only lost a couple of dollars.

"Criminals are becoming more violent and are more likely to shoot someone while committing a crime than they used to be," he said.

A police dispatcher, who preferred to be known only as Terrie, has seen crime change first hand through her job.

"There used to be a lull from Jan. 1 to the time school ends," she said. "It would pick up during the summer; there would be another lull from the time kids go back to school until Halloween; and it would pick up again until the beginning of the year, but now you don't have any lulls."

Some believe poverty has an impact on violent crime and could be one of many possible reasons for the lack of lulls.

Memphis, the 18th largest city in the United States, is plagued by a 21.5 percent poverty rate, twice the national average.

"It makes common sense that when people are poor and disenfranchised, they are going to try and find a way to equal the playing field," Heidingsfield said.

Tutt has a different take.

"There does appear to be a correlation between the poverty rate and crime, but I don't subscribe to the theory that poverty causes crime," Tutt said. "You often hear of people 'stealing to feed their kids' - I believe that to just be a myth. In years of police work, I have never encountered it."

Another factor that plays a role in violent crime is the amount of repeat offenders. Each year about 650,000 federal and state prisoners reenter society nationally, according to the Urban Institute. A significant number of those go back to the life of crime that sent them to jail.

"We lock up people we've locked up before," said Sgt. Vince Higgins of the Memphis Police Department. "It's true that 5 percent of the population commits 50 to 60 percent of the crimes."

Tutt, who has spent time as both a patrol officer and a detective, has patrolled every area of the city and has learned first hand that repeat offenders are a problem.

"You or I going to jail would be a horrible experience," he said. "To the average criminal, jail is no deterrent. They're with friends and like-minded people, are fed and housed. We need to convince people that criminal behavior is not worth doing, that there are serious consequences to engaging in that type of behavior. We don't seem to have a lot of that anymore, at least with the majority of criminals."

Police, the last line of defense, according to Higgins, shouldn't be held responsible for rising crime.

"I have to say, many people blame the police or law enforcement for the high crime," Higgins said. "But something has to happen before the crime. Something has to be done before going to school. Something has to be done before being born. We're not going to lock away our problems, this is a societal problem."

On this issue, Tutt and Higgins are on the same page.

"There is a vicious cycle of kids having kids, and nobody is raised properly," Tutt said. "They lack the social contract with society. If parents don't raise the kids, then society must."

Because environmental influences are nearly impossible to control, Memphis law enforcement will have to settle for tactical ways to reduce violent crime in Memphis.

Heidingsfield and his commission have 17 current projects. One project, called MASCOTS, is an Intranet system that gives graphing and mapping capabilities of offenders to the State of Tennessee Probation and Parole Board and law enforcement.

One of the commission's most ambitious projects is Operation Safe Community, which will focus on the prosecution of criminals, smarter policing and trying to teach lessons about crime to kids early before it's too late.

Smarter policing will be helped by another initiative called Blue C.R.U.S.H, which started in the summer of 2005. Blue C.R.U.S.H., which stands for Crime Reduction Using Statistical History, is an innovative way of mapping crime hotspots and repeat offenders. Since its inception, the clearance rate (crime cleared by arrest or death of the offender) of aggravated assaults has risen 12 percent.

With the number of initiatives in place, Higgins said the Crime Commission has been very important in helping Memphis reduce violent crime.

A trend that may pose a problem in the future is crime between minority groups.

"There is also friction between Latinos and blacks in Memphis," Tutt said. "A lot of black criminals have seen Latinos as easy prey. There is a language barrier. Latinos carry cash. Latinos are starting to fight back, and I believe you will see more violence between black and Latino gangs in the coming years."

One proposed project of Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, called the Crime Abatement Plan of Action, announced in late September of this year, would put more officers on the streets and aims to reduce violent crime with numbers.

The plan includes hiring 500 additional officers to patrol Memphis streets, another 150 to patrol the city's public schools, the opening of nine mini-precincts, a year-round youth program and enhancing neighborhood watch.

One of the program's goals is to increase the number of officers per 1,000 Memphians. New York, which has had great success in reducing its number of violent crimes, has a ratio of 4.57 officers per 1,000 people. The mayor's plan, with the addition of 650 officers, would raise Memphis' ratio to 3.75.

The Mayor's plan will come at a price. To support the addition of 500 officers from inception through 2010 is estimated at almost $48 million.

However, there are some more economical ways to help reduce violent crime in Memphis.

"Be aware of your surroundings, don't become a victim," Tutt said. "Pass information on to others and everyone look out for each other. People also need to become more aware of what's actually going on in the courts. Commit an armed robbery in Mississippi, you're likely to be incarcerated 10-12 years. The 'average' armed robber in Shelby County might get 10-12 months. Judges and elected officials must be held accountable by the public. More people need to take a look at the crime problem in Memphis and voice their concerns and demand action."