Tennessee Crime Waves in 1937

In 1937, the Volunteer State of Tennessee was hit by a surge in violent crime, making it one of the most notorious states in the nation for lawlessness.

The FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, launched in 1930, was the primary source of crime data for the country. According to the FBI’s records, Tennessee’s crime rates reflected the state’s economic struggles during the Great Depression. As the nation grappled with high unemployment and poverty, crime rates skyrocketed nationwide, with Tennessee being no exception.

The majority of crimes committed in Tennessee in 1937 were larceny and burglary-related, with citizens turning to theft to survive in a desperate economy. The FBI UCR program reported that larceny-theft was the most common crime committed in the state that year, accounting for a significant portion of the state’s crime statistics.

Violent crimes, such as murder and assault, also saw a significant increase in 1937. Racial tensions ran high in the South, with many African Americans facing brutal treatment at the hands of white law enforcement and citizens. Lynching, a violent act of racial terrorism, continued to plague Tennessee and the nation as a whole.

The FBI UCR program’s statistics for 1937 painted a grim picture of Tennessee’s crime landscape. With the nation still reeling from the effects of the Great Depression, crime rates continued to rise, and law enforcement struggled to keep up. The state’s crime statistics served as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by communities during this tumultuous era in American history.