MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police are calling on citizens to help slow the rising crime numbers.

Investigators shared a sobering look at who they say are the victims of the growing homicides.

A man found shot in the streets of South Memphis on Monday night would become another homicide victim at a time when murders are up 50% in the city.

“Memphis, we are better than this. We have got to be better than this,” said police colonel Darren Goods, commander of investigative services for the Memphis Police Department.

Goods said Memphis is on pace to break a homicide record this year. The city is already at 176 homicides, and 166 of those are classified as murder crimes.

“154 victims of these homicides were African-American,” Goods said. “133 of them were African-American men, and 21 were African-American females.”

To break it down even further, Goods said Memphis has already had 23 child deaths this year, and 21 of those are African-American children.

“It boggles my mind when our kids are being killed in the streets,” Goods said. “Where is the outrage when we are a predominately African_American city, but most of the homicides or murders are African-American men and women?”

Goods said it’s not just a police matter; it’s a society matter.

He said the city must be engaged and upset to help bring closure to families

“Every single one of these cases is solvable,” Goods said. “We just need the citizens of Memphis to step up and say, ‘Enough is enough. I am tired of this. I am tired of the consistent violence, and I am gonna do my part to help solve some of these cases.'”

If you know anything about any of the homicides in Memphis, you can call CrimeStoppers anonymously with tips at 901-528-CASH.