*per 100,000 people[9][10] In 2004 violent crime in Memphis reached a record low for over a decade, that trend subsequently reversed.
Nationally, cities follow similar trends, and crime numbers tend to be cyclical.
The Memphis Police Department's use of the FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System, which is a more detailed method of reporting crimes than what is used in many other major cities, has been cited as a reason for Memphis's frequent appearance on lists of most dangerous U.S.
[15] According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, violent crime in Memphis decreased by 6.4% in 2014.
[16] In 2019, the Memphis Police Department had 2,635 full-time sworn personnel (defined as those with general arrest powers) and 2,058 total officers.
[17] In 2013, after several gang related robberies at Tom Lee Park, the Memphis Police Department said that "they often feel powerless to control these out-of-control teens.