MEMPHIS, TN - When the economy hit the skids, safety experts predicted an alarming increase in home burglaries. And while that's been the case in other parts of the country, the city of Memphis is bucking that particular crime trend.
According to statistics from the Memphis Police Department's Incident Database, burglaries are down in the Bluff City both month-to-month and year-to-year.
974 break-ins were reported to the MPD in May and that's a slight drop from the 988 home burglaries reported in April.
And compare 974 burglaries in May 2009 to 1047 burglaries in May 2008 and that's a 7-percent decrease.
Home break-ins are down in most Memphis ZIP codes. But in the 38122, which includes the Berclair, Grahamwood and High Point Terrace neighborhoods, burglaries are skyrocketing, up 70-percent from April to May.
"That's a little scary," says Chris Eibl. "I mean, that's a big jump for one month."
Eibl grew up in the 38122 and her mother still lives here. The bump in burglaries, Eibl says, can be linked to one thing.
"Drugs in this area is pretty bad," Eibl says. "I mean, you can just walk down to National right there and there's people just asking you if you want drugs. If you slow your car down too slow, they'll come running to your car."
Her friend, Jo Grables, is visiting from Seattle, staying with Chris and her mom in Berclair. And she quickly learned that this part of Memphis can be a little rough.
"I've been approached to see if I wanted to buy drugs," says Grable. "When I was walking down the street this guy asked if I was straight. Am I straight? And I told him that I was sorry but I don't know what you're talking about. And he said he wasn't no police."
Grable's been helping Eibl fix up her mom's backyard. It's a sanctuary for her, something beautiful in the middle of the blight and the crime. Eibl would also like to beef up her mom's security. She has bars over the doors, but with burglaries on the rise in her ZIP, Eibl says her mom can't take any chances.
"Hopefully, it'll spur her to get some bars on the windows," says Eibl. "It's terrible. It'll make her feel like she's in jail. But it will help keep her safe."
The Top 5 Hot ZIPs for Home Burglaries in Memphis in May are:
Even though residential burglaries are down, MPD and FBI officials say homeowners should not get complacent. The months of June, July and August are typically the busiest for burglars.
