MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
Memphis has a smaller police department now than when Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland took office in 2016. The force now has less than 2,000 officers. With the return of pension options to new officers in July and retention bonuses already in place, many are wondering about the impact this could have on the size of the force.
THE QUESTION
Do more police officers result in less crime?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, but this needs context. Studies found more police were only successful based on the organizational style of the particular police department. The more visible officers are in the community, the more likely there is to be a decrease in crimes.
WHAT WE FOUND
According to FBI data, Memphis was the most violent metro area in the United States in 2020, and as violent crime continues some say hiring more police officers is the solution.
"When we have more police officers, crime does go down. Now it’s not eliminated,” Strickland said. “We need 2,400 police officers and we’re shy of 2,000 right now.”
A recent study found that increases in staff size of police departments coincides with declining homicide rates but also comes with a sharp increase in arrests for minor crimes and quality of life offenses.
When it comes to southern cities with large black populations, like Memphis, that impact can be smaller.
According to FBI and DOJ data, in Memphis in 2015, there were 21 murders per 100,000 residents. In 2016, that number climbed to 30 and stayed that way for a few year, spiking again to 44 per 100,000 residents in 2020 and property crime continues to increase at a steady pace...
This all occurred as nearly 40% of Memphis' city budget went to policing and public safety, which is more funding than cities like Nashville or Louisville.
“I think we need to do a better job in a post-George Floyd, post-Tyre Nichols era to have public relations," councilman J.B. Smiley said. "So that we can bridge the gap between, community, millennials, the Generation-Z folks, and police departments.”
Editor's note: The original article said that larger police departments lead to reduced crime in cities with larger populations but Vera Institute's research found that true when there are more police per capita across all city sizes.