The Trump administration’s federal crackdown on Memphis crime produced dramatic results in just weeks, with Attorney General Pam Bondi announcing steep drops in homicides and other violent offenses during a Monday press conference. Since federal officers deployed to Memphis in late September, the city has seen a 48 percent decrease in homicides and a 45 percent year-over-year decrease in “overall serious crime.” Bondi added that sexual assaults dropped 49 percent and that nearly 3,000 arrests have been made. The “Memphis Safe Task Force” also recovered more than 100 missing children in less than two months.
“In every city across the country, our message is clear,” Bondi said. “If you’re committing violent crimes, if you’re committing any crime, we will find you, we will bring you to justice and we will protect the law-abiding citizens in this country.”
Despite the task force’s early results, Tennessee Democrats have mounted legal challenges. A state judge blocked the National Guard deployment earlier this month, arguing the administration violated Tennessee law. The Justice Department has appealed, and Bondi stressed that the task force—which includes officials from the DOJ, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and DEA—will continue its operations.
“Unfortunately, the safety of our community is compromised by judges who continue to obstruct our efforts,” Bondi said. “We will use every legal means at our disposal to make America safe again, and to keep Americans safe.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn praised the “results that have been achieved in 56 days” but emphasized the long-term mission. “We know this is going to be a long term effort,” she said. “It is such a wonderful example of how this can be the model for the rest of the country, on how you come together as a team, how you fight violent crime.”
