New figures presented by Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis during Tuesday’s Memphis City Council meeting show crime continues to trend downward across the city in 2026.
Speaking before council members, Davis reported that every major crime category tracked by the Memphis Police Department (MPD) has declined during the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
The most notable decrease came in homicides, as, through mid-June, Davis said Memphis recorded a 44 percent reduction in murders compared to 2025. She also reported motor vehicle thefts have also fallen dramatically, with nearly 2,000 fewer vehicles reported stolen this year, representing a decline of approximately 62 percent.
The police chief noted that all seven major crime categories tracked by the department showed year-over-year reductions, while every precinct across the city experienced decreases in criminal activity.
“Every precinct, if you take time to look at each one of our precincts, they are all continuing to move in the same direction with reductions. We haven’t had any significant increases in any particular precinct,” Davis said.
In addition to falling crime rates, MPD has responded to more than 10,000 fewer calls for service than during the same period in 2025. Davis said calls for service are down approximately 23 percent, a trend she attributed to fewer crimes occurring across the city.
“Less crime means less calls for service,” Davis said during Tuesday’s council meeting.
The latest crime reductions come as agencies operating under the Memphis Safe Task Force have logged over 10,000 arrests since the initiative launched in September 2025.
City data shows overall crime has declined by approximately 41 percent since the task force’s deployment, including a 38 percent drop in larceny crimes, 32 percent drop in aggravated assaults, 28 percent drop in burglaries, 50 percent fewer burglaries, and a 34 percent drop in sexual assaults.
Watch Chief Davis’ remarks during Tuesday’s council meeting:
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
