Who Memphis residents feel is responsible for reducing crime changes depending on what part of town they live in, according to a community study financed by The Daily Memphian and conducted by Trust Marketing.

As to the reasons for crime, participants pointed to issues ranging from parenting to city leadership to problems in the courts to the way crime is covered by local media.

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The study relied on five focus groups that included a community leader as host and, in total, citizens from 11 different areas of town. Attendees of the sessions, which were held throughout June and July and took about 90 minutes each, were guaranteed anonymity in exchange for their honest and unfiltered feedback. The conclusion from the entire study was Memphians want a cleaner city and community buy-in to reduce crime. 

Attendees of the focus groups were each asked to rank a number of entities — such as the Memphis Police Department, the faith community, Shelby County and Memphis mayors and the school system — on a scale of 1 (most responsible for reducing crime) to 5 (least responsible for reducing crime).

In several Memphis neighborhoods — Hickory Hill, Whitehaven, Castalia and Westwood — the focus groups did not put the onus for reducing crime on the mayor or the Memphis City Council. Instead, they think city government should provide tools to alleviate blight, make communities feel safer and provide programs for children. 

In Frayser/Raleigh, the people deemed most responsible for reducing crime were parents.

“Parents are viewed as ground zero for reducing crime. All respondents were concerned about the lack of responsibility among parents and were unanimous in their strong convictions about making parents accountable for the actions of their children,” according to the study’s final report.

Another focus group, this one at Crosstown Concourse and attended by Downtown and Midtown residents, expected the mayor and the Memphis City Council to be responsible for reducing crime. The 13 attendees said the mayor has the primary responsibility for reducing the amount of crime. This focus group was the only one that ranked the mayor higher than fourth. 

According to the report, participants in the Downtown/Midtown focus group “did not feel that politicians and community leaders were unified on what the problems and solutions are. ... Politicians are also not holding themselves accountable.” 

The focus group’s differing opinions on who was responsible for reducing crime contrasts with recent public polling. WREG News Channel 3 released an August poll from Emerson College in which 66% of respondents said the new mayor should focus on crime reduction first. 

Nonetheless, the conclusions of the focus groups were largely in line with an opinion poll conducted by The Daily Memphian in the spring. That poll found broad agreement across the city and across virtually all demographics in attitudes about the crime problem in Memphis.

Each focus group also had strong opinions about the role parents play in reducing crime and instilling discipline in youth. They also wanted to see communities of faith play a role in reducing crime and holding neighborhoods together.

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In the wake of the Memphis municipal election, the focus groups’ findings show while residents may not expect the mayor to reduce crime, residents do want city government to invest tax dollars in line items that beautify communities and give youth things to do. 

Also, some residents in wealthier parts of the city had higher expectations of city government in regard to crime reduction than residents of other areas. 

Mayor-elect Paul Young told The Daily Memphian earlier this month his administration should be judged on how it funds its campaign priorities of increased affordable housing and youth and neighborhood investment in its first budget early next year. 

He also said he wanted to see a pandemic-level response to crime with cross-agency collaboration addressing the issue. 

Multiple members of the Memphis City Council have also signaled they want to expand youth programming to give kids something else to do and have even indicated a willingness to consider raising taxes for it.

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One theme that emerged in the focus groups was how media, particularly broadcast media, shapes how people view Memphis. Multiple focus groups actually listed the media as more responsible for reducing crime than the City Council or the mayor. 

Some of the findings included the broadcast news overwhelms residents with feelings that crime is out of control and helps create a perception that the city is unsafe.