MEMPHIS, Tenn — Memphis continues to suffer from car break-ins and car thefts. According to the Memphis Police Department’s public safety map, there have been over 2,000 more cars stolen as of October 2023 than there were in the entire year of 2022.

Downtown always has a pretty steady flow of traffic, but as the number of cars broken into and stolen continues to increase, more Memphians are questioning whether they should stay in the city.

“I had to come get my police report because I’m tired of that,” resident Denesha Callicutt said. “They done stole my lawnmower, my barbecue grill and yeah – now it’s the car.”

Callicutt has lived in North Memphis her whole life. Now, the crime and lack of intervention is pushing her to East Memphis.

“I’ve actually called the police to that house,” Callicutt said. “I call every time something comes up missing.”

Car break-ins and thefts are not limited to North Memphis. Orange Mound residents like Jackie Clay are also falling victim to the crime.

“They been breaking in cars around here a lot,” Clay said. “They broke in my aunt’s car, the next-door neighbor’s car.”

Orange Mound has a thriving neighborhood watch group, but even that has not prevented break-ins and thefts.

“Can’t do anything because they’re doing it in the middle of the night, and we’re all asleep,” Clay said.

And Callicutt said she’s already asked for an increased MPD presence.

“If they see the police active more, they’ll say, ‘I’m not fixing to be over here in this area because the police be over here a lot,’” Callicutt said. “I say if the police get more active and make their rounds…it’ll be better.”

MPD encourages all Memphians and visitors to never leave your car unlocked, always use a club or steering wheel lock if you have one and never leave your car running, especially when you have to park on the street.