WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum to address rampant crime in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Memorandum establishes a Memphis Safe Task Force tasked with ending street and violent crime in Memphis, including by coordinating closely with State and local officials in Tennessee, Memphis, and neighboring jurisdictions to share information, develop joint priorities, and maximize resources to make Memphis safe and restore public order.
The task force will be comprised of members of key government agencies. The memo urges the Task Force to utilize the strategies and principles developed during the District of Columbia crime crackdown to address violent and property crime in Memphis.
The task force is authorized to request operational assistance from and coordinate with the Memphis Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Memphis Area Transit Authority, a number of other key law enforcement departments and agencies throughout Tennessee and in Memphis, and other officials as permitted by law.
The Memorandum tasks the Secretary of Defense with requesting the Governor of Tennessee make Tennessee National Guard units available to support public safety and law enforcement operations in Memphis.
The Memorandum also directs the Secretary to coordinate with State Governors to mobilize National Guard personnel from those states to support this effort.
Memphis is suffering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government's ability to respond effectively, prompting State and local leaders to request Federal assistance to restore public safety and order.
According to FBI data, Memphis had the highest violent crime rate in the country in 2024.
Memphis has some of the highest rates of murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and property crimes in the nation.
This year alone, Memphis has seen 150 murders so far, according o a White House Fact Sheet.
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