Supposedly there’s 100,000 illegal aliens in Memphis ...could that be part of the problem?
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/sep/25/hispanics-are-seen-but-unseen/
Oh and uh, ICE is opening a new office for the fugitive illegal aliens in Memphis
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070927/NEWS01/709270403/1006/NEWS
The article didn't mention how the Hispanics contribute to the violent crime problem in Memphis. It's probably not what most would think -- it's not that Hispanics are perpetrating the crimes, it's that they're the victims probably 95 times out of 100. I don't know of a significant MS13 gang presence in Memphis, but it is a well-known fact that Hispanics working in Memphis tend to live in the low-income areas (Hickory Hill, Frayser) and tend to carry cash. That combined with the language barrier and fear of reporting their victim status after a crime makes them prime targets of the hoodlums in their neighborhoods.
Come to think of it, I just made a pretty good case for assuming Memphis is even more violent than the authors of the dubious "violent crime capital" title required.