SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — The numbers are in, and violent crime is up in Southaven. But the police say the jump in crime stats shouldn’t keep people up at night.
Tamika Bills told WREG, “Me, being female, to me it’s a more comfortable area. I don’t mind going places by myself.”
Safety is one of the main reasons she moved to Southaven from Columbia Tennessee.
Bills said, “The crime rate is getting a lot worse with drugs, so we decided to move this way.”
She’s starting a business to help the elderly, and was surprised to hear about a recent jump in crime rates in Southaven.
Steve Pirtle with Southaven Police said, “I think they should be concerned. Not in fear.”
Pirtle is the deputy chief in Southaven. The latest stats from his police department show a jump in rape, robbery, and aggravated assault from last year.
“Our crime is still in line with what it’s always been,” Pirtle said.
If you take a look this year’s numbers and compare them to the ten-year average, the numbers are about the same, including homicide. The only number that stands out is aggravated assault crimes.
Bills says the most shocking statistic to her is the murder rate.
“I’m thinking, one murder the whole year? That’s amazing,” she said.
Police say they caught that murder suspect because worried neighbors called officers when they didn’t see the victim for several days. Pirtle says that kind of pro-active stance that helps keep crime rates down.
“When you multiply our eyes with the communities eyes it’s a lot better,” Pirtle said.
Women like Bills say that’s a relief.