Tennessee Ranks First in Violent Crime
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JACKSON, Tenn.–Tennessee ranks highest in violent crime, according to new report based on statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Despite this daunting ranking, some residents say they don’t feel the unsafe in Tennessee. “Really, I can’t say there’s any place in Tennessee I don’t feel comfortable walking, going around in,” Art Friess of Union City said. Friess says he feels protected living in West Tennessee, but a report by Wall Street 24/7 ranks the state as the most dangerous in the country. “That was amazingly surprising,” Friess said. “I just don’t understand that thinking at all.” The report looks at FBI statistics for violent crimes including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. “Every town has their bad parts,”Alan Johansen said, a West Tennessee resident. “Every town has their good parts.” According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, in 2012 Jackson police investigated 11 murders. Madison County investigated one. Last year, Jackson reported 25 rape cases to the TBI. Statistics show Madison County reported 18 rape cases. “We know that drugs and gangs drive a lot of the violent crime here in Jackson-Madison County,” Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork said. According to the Wall Street 24/7 report, violent crimes jumped 6.8% in Tennessee last year from 2011. “I think the bottom line is, is families need to try to raise their children better,” Woolfork said. The report says most of the violence is concentrated in major metropolitan areas like Memphis and Nashville. “I just never feel concerned about crime,” Friess said. “We have a good police department in our area. The sheriff’s department is a good sheriff’s department.” The Wall Street 24/7 report says crime is down in Tennessee 10% from 2007. Nevada came in second behind Tennessee, followed by Alaska, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
