President Trump creates Memphis Safe Task Force

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Monday establishing a Memphis Safe Task Force to combat violent crime, and suggested troops might be in the city in a matter of weeks.

The president met with Tennessee Republicans, Gov. Bill Lee and Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, at the White House, along with several high-ranking administration officials.

“We’re going to make Memphis safe again,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

Last Friday, Trump announced that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis. Monday, he added that the force would include FBI, DEA, ICE, the Marshall’s Service and other federal agencies.

Gov. Lee thanked the president for his commitment to Memphis. He told the president, “I’ve been in office for seven years. I’m tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.”

“This will be your proudest moment,” Trump told Gov. Lee. “When we see you in four or five weeks, maybe sooner, you’re going to see numbers that will drop and plummet like you haven’t seen. Just like we did in D.C.”

The White House released statistics with the title “Make Memphis Safe Again” showing Memphis with the nation’s highest violent crime rate, highest property crime rate and third-highest murder rate.

“A person is four times more likely to be murdered in Memphis, Tennessee today than in Mexico City,” Trump said.

The FBI has been assisting local authorities in an operation in the city, where crime rates have declined in recent months.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency had gone into the city quietly to set the groundwork to make Memphis safe permanently.

“It’s not a short-term mission,” Patel said.

Sen. Blackburn said the FBI has been working for several months on Operation Viper in Memphis, which has resulted in more than 500 arrests and 100 indictments.

“Memphis had the best stats that they have had in years, this past August, last month,” Blackburn said. “It’s because of the work that’s been done.”

Sen. Hagerty said crime had plagued Memphis since he was a boy.

“I hope to see Memphis become the safest city in America,” Hagerty said.

An unscientific poll conducted by WREG shows more than 80% of respondents were in favor of the National Guard deployment in the city.

Many local officials have cautioned against Guard troops in Memphis.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson on Monday urged President Trump to bring investments into the city instead.

“We need $10 billion to start of investment in Memphis and Shelby County. Give us that, not the National Guard,” he said. “We need financial investment in this city and in this county because we are getting the least amount of any other county or district in the state of Tennessee. Those are the facts.”

Trump suggested Chicago may be the site of the next deployment.