MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Property crime is down in Memphis, but some local business owners aren’t buying the statistics, according to the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.
Figures from the Crime Commission show that property crime has fallen by six per cent compared to last year.
FOX13’s Jeremy Pierre spoke with one business owner who says bankruptcy is draining money from his business.
It’s a business Dominic Worthen started a year and a half ago, and it’s grown quickly.
Sneaker Bar in Midtown specializes in clearance high-end sneakers.
“Business is growing thankfully,” Worchen.
According to Worthen, thieves in Memphis work very hard to steal from businesses.
He said he did a lot for the city, but his business repeatedly went bust.
“Man, I’ve been hit three times in six months,” he said. “Three times in six months. Now come on.”
Video from the Worthen store shows one of the break-ins, where thieves stole shoe boxes meant to be cleaned.
The shoes are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The most recent outage occurred two weeks ago.
The thieves cost the business nearly half a million dollars to replace the merchandise.
“The break-ins happen between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.,” Worthen said.
He said one break is enough, but the store experienced three.
In the year In late 2021, a small business on the Highland Strip closed its doors after thieves stole more than $70,000 worth of clothing and sneakers.
At the same time, thieves broke into the City Gear store on Fraser Boulevard and stole $20,000 worth of Nike gear.
Worthen said more attention could be paid to businesses that face many of the property crimes he believes go under the radar.
“We didn’t get a lot of help from the Memphis PD,” he said. “If a place hits three times… If a business hits three times, you deserve respect for what you do. I’ll pay enough taxes for a police officer to stay here for a while, at least they’ll make me feel better.
He described the crimes as a sad reality of the city and expressed his belief that the responsible thieves will find good things with their hard work.
“They need to change this energy, which will pay them for life, not for one night,” he said.
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