Memphis Task Force Launches; 53 Arrests, $100M Pledge

A multiagency "Memphis Safe Task Force" launched this week under a presidential memorandum, activating a Joint Operations Center near Shelby Farms with multiple mobile command units and 219 specially deputized officers. The force brings roughly 13 federal and state agencies together — including U.S. Marshals, FBI, ATF, DEA, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation — with National Guard members deployed in a support “eyes and ears” role. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced nine arrests and two illegal firearms seized on day one and later said the operation produced 53 arrests and 20 illegal firearms recovered within 48 hours, including locating a missing juvenile and seizing three guns at a murder suspect’s home. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has voiced support and pledged $100 million in crime-reduction grants to back a phased, long-term deployment. Memphis Mayor Paul Young expressed cautious optimism while Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and a state senator raised legal and civil-liberties concerns about the Guard deployment and perceived militarization. Local business owners and community advocates welcomed efforts to reduce crime but called for accountability, clarity on legal authority and attention to long-term community impacts.