Memphis Walgreens stores employ classical music to discourage vagrancy and crime.
Walgreens Uses Classical Music to Deter Vagrancy and Crime in Memphis
To address vagrancy issues and petty crime, Walgreens stores in Memphis have come up with an innovative solution: playing classical music through speakers in their parking lots. This tactic, previously employed in Chicago and Los Angeles, aims to discourage loitering and harassment of customers by homeless individuals and others. Before the initiative was implemented, groups of about 10-15 people were frequently loitering in one of the Walgreens parking lots in Memphis, as reported by Fox13.
According to Walgreens, ”At various locations, we have implemented a recorded music loop that plays outside of the store to help deter loitering on the premises. We take steps to ensure the music is only loud enough for the immediate area around the store and cannot be heard by residents in surrounding neighborhoods,” as stated in WREG.
The classical music is being played at multiple Walgreens locations throughout the crime-plagued city using a mobile camera and speaker system. In fact, at one location, the music can even be heard from across the street, as reported by WREG.
Opinions about this unique approach are divided among city residents. While some enjoy the music, others find it annoying. Chris Worsham, who listens to the music while waiting at his bus stop, told Fox13, “Everybody else listens to hip-hop, pop, rock and everything else. Classical? Yeah, I don’t think they’ll stick around too long and try to Memphis jerk on that.”
Cameron Cooley, who works nearby, expressed his annoyance, saying, “I thought, ‘Oh there is a band playing and they’re really good.’ Then, the next day, I was like, ‘They’re still playing.’ And later that night, they’re still playing. I understand why they are using the music, but it’s the same key all day, the same music. It can be a deterrent and it definitely deters me.”
Crime in Memphis
Memphis has consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in America, with a significant increase in property and violent crime over the past year. Its murder rate is among the top ten worst in the U.S.
Classical Music as a Deterrence Strategy
Walgreens’ use of classical music to deter crime is not limited to Memphis. Similar strategies have been implemented in Walgreens stores in Chicago and the Los Angeles Metro. In fact, the Los Angeles Metro started playing classical music at a downtown subway station in April, as reported by The Daily Wire. The Metro’s operations and security team collaborated with law enforcement to play symphonies, concertos, and piano sonatas by renowned composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Vivaldi at the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro station starting in January.
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