During my twelve years in the Memphis Police Department, I have had the privilege of working my entire uniform patrol portion of my career in one area of the city. When I refer to uniform patrol, I am referencing my time in the squad car, patrolling a particular area, answering calls, community relations, and enforcement. The area is called Orange Mound. It takes about thirty to forty-five minutes to cover the entire ward. This area in Memphis, Tennessee is the second largest community in Harlem, New York to be established by African Americans. It was the neighborhood in the south to allow African Americans to own homes and property. Orange Mound was the home to successful African American entrepreneurs, lawyers, and professionals. The pride …show more content…
As the drugs made their way into the community so did the crime and violence. As a criminal justice practitioner, the social disorganization theory proposes that the economic framework of society allows crime to affect the order of a neighborhood. With crime and violence becoming significant factors in the decline of this neighborhood the children of this community will be the most affected. The Orange Mound community began to feel the effects of this disorganization, which was being observed through the increase of crime, which leads to more addicts and poverty. These actions forced long time residents to move out of Orange Mound because of the fear of being victims of crime. It is the variables related to fear and crime that have changed the physical appearance and social structure of this …show more content…
Many residents from this neighborhood opted to remove themselves from the criminal element in the community and go where their chances of becoming a victim are reduced. Another solution to this theory especially as it relates to juvenile participating in the criminal activity is an increased level of supervision. The absence of able guardian would reduce prevent crime and deter potential offenders. This community lacks the presence of concern neighbors and even police presence. In the last several years the Memphis Police Department has taken a huge loss when it comes to personnel. Due to the lack of appreciation by the city government, loss of benefits and changes in pension a lot of officers have the department to pursue a career at other agencies or only leaving the profession altogether. The shortage in workforce forces officers to be more reactive than proactive in these high crime areas. The risk can be reduced if the element of opportunity is removed from the equation of crime. As time changes and technology advances, residents are moving towards more advanced forms of surveillance utilizing cameras, alarms and increased lighting. Even with the various possible explanations as to why communities like Orange Mound are deteriorating so quickly, there are still many factors to consider is it the people in the neighborhoods to blame or is the structure of the communities that become a