Memphis homicide rate nearly doubles that of Chicago this year

Updated
Memphis Councilman Creates Plan To Fight Potential Record Breaking Homicide Rate
Memphis Councilman Creates Plan To Fight Potential Record Breaking Homicide Rate

Chicago may be known for its high murder rate, but one city has surpassed the windy city in homicide rates thus far this year.

The murder rate in Memphis, Tennessee is about 64 percent higher than that of Chicago this year, according to local outlet the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis has experienced a violent first three months with 60 people killed in 2016 at the end of March -- compared to 35 homicides this time last year. Those numbers put the homicide rate around 9.13 victims per 100,000 population.

See the most violent cities in each state below:

In the same time period, 151 people had been killed in Chicago, but with a population of 2,722,389, the homicide rate is only at 5.55.

If the murder rate in Memphis stays steady, the city is on track to reach 240 homicides in 2016, shattering the highest murders recorded in one year -- 213 homicides set in 1993. Last year, the city recorded 161 homicides.

Memphis began 2016 with 12 homicides in two weeks. One deadly day in March saw three men killed in a 5 hour span in separate shootings.

"It's an emotional strain on everybody right now, the whole community," Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich told The Commercial Appeal. "But in terms of strain on the office, sure. That's potentially 60 more cases of the most serious nature. These are the most emotionally draining and difficult cases we handle."

Although the homicide rate in Memphis is higher than ever the Memphis Police Department is solving these crimes at a pretty high rate too with 77 percent of the homicides committed this year solved.

But many are searching for solutions to stop these violent crimes from happening in the first place. City councilman Phillip Spinosa hopes to put 70 new Sky Cop cameras in neighborhoods across the city.

"I don't think cameras are going to solve all the problems, but I think they are going to help create safer neighborhoods, and help efficiently and effectively deploy officers on the streets," he told WREG.

City councilman Martavius Jones hopes to bring more jobs to the city that, like Chicago, has one of the highest black poverty rates in the country.

"You're not able to find employment. You're not able to have value for yourself. You're not going to value someone else's life," he told WMC.

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