Memphis Mayor Paul Young has promised his administration will use “every new resource” in its effort to curtail crime in the city as it prepares for the deployment of the National Guard, which President Donald Trump recently said would be deployed to Memphis as part of his nationwide crackdown on crime.
Young’s comments were released shortly before Governor Bill Lee confirmed the National Guard deployment would begin next week, stating that 13 law enforcement agencies will support the effort as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Claiming that the level of crime is already trending downward in Memphis, the mayor stated, “My responsibility as mayor is to ensure that every new resource strengthens our neighborhoods, supports our families, and builds on that progress.”
Young added that his administration wants the federal assistance, “to uplift our community and accelerate a safer, stronger future.”
The mayor’s comments were published on a City of Memphis webpage, which provided further details about the role of state and federal law enforcement in the upcoming operation.
According to the city, the National Guard will serve, “as extra ‘eyes and ears’ in our neighborhoods, assisting local, state, and federal agencies.”
The web page also suggested the city reached an agreement with its federal partners for National Guard members to be “easily identifiable” while in the city, and claims that they will not wear masks or use “[a]rmored tanks” during the deployment.
Though previously opposed to the deployment of federal resources, Young earlier this week appeared to modify his stance in a post to social media. He announced in the post that he recently met with leaders from Washington, D.C., who shared their experience after the Trump administration took control of law enforcement over the summer.
“Their approach was focused on three areas: law enforcement, beautification, and homelessness services,” wrote Young. “For Memphis, I choose to use this as an opportunity.”
He said, “Crime is already trending down, and with added support, we can build on that momentum. We can also accelerate blight cleanup and expand services for people experiencing homelessness, strengthening the quality of life across our city.”
Support was previously provided to Memphis by the FBI after Director Kash Patel noted that the city had the highest murder rate in the nation, and it was announced this week that the federal law enforcement agency assisted with the arrests of nearly 500 violent criminals over a two-month period.
– – –
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].
