Memphis business owners say burglaries abound despite reported drop in property crime – FOX13 News Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee — Property crime has dropped in Memphis, but some local business owners aren’t buying it, according to the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

Crime Commission figures show property crime is down 6 per cent from last year.

Jeremy Pierre of FOX13 spoke to a business owner who said break-ins were sucking money out of his business.

This is a business that Dominique Worchen started a year and a half ago and has grown rapidly.

Midtown’s Sneaker Bar specializes in high-end sneakers.

“Thankfully, business is booming steadily,” Worchen.

People in Memphis work too hard for thieves to break in and steal from businesses, Worchen said.

He said he had done a lot for the city, but his business had been repeatedly broken into.

“Man, I got hit three times in six months,” he said. “Three times in six months. Come on now.”

Video from the Worchen store shows one of the burglaries, where thieves stole boxes of shoes that were supposed to be washed.

The shoes are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The most recent break-in occurred two weeks ago.

The thieves cost the business nearly $500,000 to replace the merchandise.

“Every break-in happened between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m.,” Worchen said.

He said one break-in was enough, but the store had already been through it three times.

In late 2021, a small business in the Highlands closed its doors after more than $70,000 worth of clothes and sneakers were stolen.

Around the same time, the thieves went to City Gear on Frayser Boulevard, breaking into the store and stealing $20,000 worth of Nike gear.

Worchen said it would help if more attention was paid to businesses with multiple property crimes that he believes are unknown.

“We didn’t get a lot of help from the Memphis Police Department,” he said. “If a place gets hit three times…respect what all officers do, but if a business gets hit three times. I pay enough tax to have a policeman here for a while, at least let I feel better.”

He said the crimes were an unfortunate reality in the city, and he hoped the thieves responsible would find something positive to use their energies.

“They need to convert this energy, which will pay them for a life instead of a night,” he said.


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