Says the Memphis Police Department “will no longer respond” to crimes including larceny, breaking and entering, and motor vehicle theft.
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No, Memphis police aren’t ignoring these crimes
If Your Time is short
- An image of what looks like a news broadcast reporting that Memphis police were no longer going to respond to certain crimes is not authentic.
- The police department said it continues to respond to all calls for service.
An image that’s being shared widely on social media appears to show what looks like an image from a local news broadcast in Memphis.
"Effective immediately," the text says. "The Memphis Police Department will no longer respond to the following
Assault Charges with no injury
Breaking and Entering
Criminal, Property Damage;
Lost, Stolen Property
Menacing, Phone Harassment
Larceny
Disorderly Conduct
Motor Vehicle Theft"
In the top left corner of the image is the logo for WREG-TV News Channel 3 in Memphis.
But Bruce Moore, the station’s news director, told us the graphic is not authentic.
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This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
We reached out to the police department about the post but did not hear back. However, soon after the department wrote on its verified Facebook page that the information in the post is false.
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"THIS IS NOT TRUE and is fake information that someone (outside of WREG) created," the police post says. "MPD continues to respond to all calls for service."
According to the department’s website, each of the nine police stations located throughout the city has a general investigation bureau that is set up to investigate crimes including: burglary, intimidation, motor vehicle theft, pocket picking, robbery, shoplifting, theft, threatening, obscene or harassing phone calls, vandalism, and stolen property.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, April 26, 2021
Memphis Police Department, Uniform patrol, visited April 26, 2021
Memphis Police Department Facebook post, April 26, 2021
Email interview with Bruce Moore, news director, WREG-TV News Channel 3, April 26, 2021
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No, Memphis police aren’t ignoring these crimes
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