MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – One neighborhood in Whitehaven has reported more than 100 business crimes in the past 75 days.
One business owner there said he was getting ready to move and was frustrated.
According to the Memphis Police Department's public safety website, 118 business-related crimes occurred within a mile of Trap Fusion Restaurant in Whitehaven in 2024.
These business-related crimes include robbery, shoplifting, identity theft, and other crimes.
“I think our city is starving,” said Trap Fusion co-owner and executive chef Jason Gardner.
Gardner says his restaurant, which pays homage to much of Memphis' culture, is also not safe.
In the past five years, his restaurant has been broken into seven times.
The last break-in was caught on surveillance video in February, and the windows remain boarded up more than a month later.
“Crime is so high in Memphis that there's a waiting period for the glass. Honestly, we finally got word that the glass has arrived. We're going to keep putting up this mural a little bit longer and we're going to do it all over the city.” We wanted to get our message across,” Gardner said.
A mural reading “Why Us” was added to the boarded-up windows.
MPD empowers business owners to take security into their own hands by paying to hire security guards, bar windows, invest in cameras, and integrate those cameras into MPD's Connect Memphis program. I am asking you to secure it.
So far, just over 6500 cameras have been registered.
But for Gardner, it may be too late. He decided to move.
“I think it would be a good idea to take action outside of Memphis. We might go back to Memphis again, but Memphis is going downhill right now, and we have to go somewhere where we can raise our families.” Gardner said.
The Memphis native said he signed the lease for Nashville's new Trap Fusion on Thursday.
“We've put a lot of effort into building this business and brand, and it's definitely time to move on to the next city,” Gardner said.
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