Since federal officers were deployed to Memphis in late September by the Trump administration, the city has experienced a dramatic drop in violent crime, the Washington Free Beacon reports. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a 48 percent decrease in homicides, a 45 percent reduction in overall serious crime, a 49 percent decline in sexual assaults, and nearly 3,000 arrests made by the “Memphis Safe Task Force.” The task force has also recovered over 100 missing children in under two months.
The task force includes personnel from the Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Despite facing legal challenges and pushback from Tennessee Democrats who temporarily blocked National Guard deployment, the Justice Department has appealed, and the task force continues its operations.
Prominent Tennessee Republicans such as Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, Governor Bill Lee, and other officials praised the task force’s progress. Blackburn emphasized that while the results in just 56 days are promising, continued efforts are necessary to sustain these gains and model successful crime-fighting strategies nationwide.
Pam Bondi stressed the administration’s commitment to protect law-abiding citizens and bring violent criminals to justice, expressing frustration towards judicial obstacles that hinder community safety efforts.
“Unfortunately, the safety of our community is compromised by judges who continue to obstruct our efforts,” Bondi said. “I wish they are all watching this, and I hope they are seeing what we’re doing here in Memphis. We will use every legal means at our disposal to make America safe again, and to keep Americans safe.”
Federal charges have been filed against numerous offenders, and the operation represents a significant crackdown on violent crime in Memphis under President Trump’s directive.
“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.”