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| An Operation: Safe Community Strategy Update |
“The opening of the Family Safety Center will help us better coordinate our response to domestic violence, a category of crime that is not decreasing in our community,” stated Michelle Fowlkes, executive director of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission in a recent update on the Operation: Safe Community’s (OSC) annual crime trends report. For the calendar year of 2010 reported simple assaults, which are mainly comprised of domestic-related incidents, increased 8.7 percent in the city of Memphis and were up 6.2 percent in Shelby County from January 1 – December 31, 2010 when compared to 2006.
Operation: Safe Community leadership cites domestic violence (DV), as well as youth violence, as a specific area that needs continued focus as OSC continues its final year of the five-year initiative to make Memphis and Shelby County safer.
The Family Safety Center is an integral component of OSC’s Strategy 14 to implement a coordinated domestic violence initiative in Memphis and Shelby County. Modeled after the Child Advocacy Center in Memphis, the Family Safety Center, when fully functional, will serve as a single location where victims of DV can seek assistance from advocates; obtain assistance in filing and receiving ex parte orders of protection, arrest warrants and charges against abusers; and opportunities to meet with police and prosecutors in a more private setting than currently available.
Recently, Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. announced that the Family Safety Center is on target to open this year in the Madison Professional Building located at 1750 Madison Avenue, in Midtown, marking a pivotal point towards fully reducing DV crime community-wide. During the press conference, a lease agreement was ceremoniously signed and invested OSC leadership expressed their continued commitment to this historical acquisition of space.
"One location for a variety of community agencies will be an outstanding boost for Shelby County," said Mayor Luttrell. "Crime victims will quickly receive needed assistance. What's more, the counseling and support services for victims will be more easily coordinated since they'll be located in the same building, along with law enforcement personnel."
City of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton added, “We must not relent in our efforts until we have successfully reduced the number of incidents, and made more families safe.” Mayor Wharton went on to affirm “That's why moving toward opening the Family Safety Center is so important.”
Other speakers at the press conference included Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter who co-leads this OSC Strategy in partnership with Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald.
archimania will oversee construction which will begin soon on the top-floor of the Madison Avenue building to retrofit the Center’s office space. The Shelby County Crime Victims Center and the Mid-South Sexual Assault Resource Center (MSARC) are planned to occupy the first floor of the building which was selected, in part, because of the opportunities for free parking, public transportation access as well as its central location.
For continued updates on the Family Safety Center of Memphis and Shelby County visit www.fscmemphis.com. If you, or someone you know, needs immediate help with domestic violence please call the Domestic Violence Crisis Hotline at 725-4277.
Monthly Crime Trend Report
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City of Memphis Crime Update: January 2011
From January 1-January 31, 2011, Major Violent Crime was down 36.6% including a drop in robbery by 56.1% and a drop in aggravated assault by 23.2% across the City of Memphis, when compared to the same time period in 2006.
Major Property Crime was down 35.4% including a drop in burglary by 23.5% and a drop in motor vehicle theft by 62.8% across the City of Memphis, when compared to the same time period in 2006.
Shelby County Crime Update: January 2011
From January 1-January 31, 2011, Major Violent Crime was down 36.2% including a drop in murder by 27.3% and a drop in aggravated assault by 24.3% across all jurisdictions of Shelby County, when compared to the same time period in 2006.
Major Property Crime was down 33.8% including a drop in burglary by 27% and a drop in motor vehicle theft by 61.3% across all jurisdictions of Shelby County, when compared to the same time period in 2006.
To view the full Operation: Safe Community Monthly Crime Trend Report administered by The University of Memphis and the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission please click HERE.
REGISTER NOW!
Assuring Safe Futures for Our Children:
Eliminating Community and School Violence Conference
March 24-25, 2011
Memphis City Schools Teaching and Learning Academy
Hosted by: Memphis City Schools and The Memphis/Shelby County Children and Youth Council, a Regional Council of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth
The conference will offer workshops that address the problems facing our youth such as gangs, youth violence and victimization and truancy, while highlighting prevention and intervention strategies that make a difference.
It will culminate on the last day with a Community Café, during which you will have the opportunity to process what you have learned and discuss ways in which you and your professions can better serve the youth with whom you work.
To register for this Conference please visit: http://assuringsafefuturesforourchildren.eventbrite.com
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