The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) is requesting more than $16 million in new funding for Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) troopers, supervisors, and support staff positions, which will reportedly allow the agency to station more than 100 additional troopers in Memphis.
In the material prepared for its 2026-2027 budget meeting with Governor Bill Lee, TDOSHS requested an additional $16.7 million in funding for the state troopers, representing nearly a 40 percent increase over the $26.9 million in recurring funding for these positions. The state agency seeks about $43.5 million in total spending for troopers and related roles.
TDOSHS Commissioner Jeff Long reportedly said the additional funding would allow THP to recruit 139 new positions, including 120 new troopers, according to The Tennessee Lookout, which reported Long cited the number of troopers currently participating in the federal Memphis Safe Task Force deployment.
Of the roughly 1,000 troopers in the THP, Long reportedly stated that 300 had been reassigned to Memphis on a rotating basis, with 100 working each shift. She also told The Lookout that the agency’s involvement with the task force has required troopers from other counties to fill in the gap.
“We’re pulling from the different areas across the state, as we do any other major operation,” Long told the outlet. “It leaves (open shifts) somewhat for the people who are still there. That’s why we need more troopers, too.”
The governor recently said the task force could remain deployed in Memphis indefinitely, but later clarified that he was referring to cooperation among local, state, and federal law enforcement, and said the total number of federal personnel in the city could be reduced.
Since the task force was deployed on September 30, authorities have reported 2,501 arrests. Of these arrests, 1,078 were for felony offenses, while 1,423 were for misdemeanors.
The arrest total was updated days after the U.S. Marshals Service reported that more than 1,000 outstanding warrants had been served, and 100 missing children had been located, since the task force deployed.
One missing child was a Tennessee teenager last seen on September 1. The task force assisted in returning the 15-year-old to Tennessee after federal authorities transmitted a tip from an individual who claimed to employ the father in Honolulu, Hawaii, where the teen was living out of a van.
President Donald Trump recently credited the task force for the nearly 50 percent drop in reports of serious crime since it deployed.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Memphis Police Officer” by Memphis Police Department.
