Gov. Bill Lee on Monday, Nov. 20, announced that more than 50 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers would contribute to an ongoing “surge” over the next few weeks.

According to a press release, Lee sent “approximately” 40 troopers to Shelby County on Monday to contribute to the preexisting “Operation Grizzly.” 

‘No traffic stop’s routine:’ THP looking to fill vacancies in Shelby County

On Nov. 27, another 15-20 troopers will join the effort “for the foreseeable future.”

Operation Grizzly, which started in 2018 with the goal of reducing traffic deaths, brings troopers from THP’s seven-county Memphis District and other regions of the state to target areas in the city of Memphis.

It’s unclear how long the additional troopers will patrol Shelby County roads.

“Tennessee is implementing proven crime prevention methods to keep our communities safe,” Lee said in a statement. “I commend our THP troopers for stepping up to enhance the law enforcement presence in Shelby County and help deter criminal activity in the area.”

“At the same time, local officials must carry out their responsibility to uphold the law and hold criminals accountable, without resorting to soft on crime plea deals that have serious consequences and too-often result in more crime and more victims.”

THP recruitment has more than tripled, Gov. Bill Lee says

As of August, THP had 16 troopers, two sergeants and a lieutenant assigned to Shelby County, according to a THP spokeswoman.

But THP has also been vague when asked about how many troopers are on patrol in Shelby County.

Wesley Moster, spokesman for Tennessee Department of Safety, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, refused to confirm the number of troopers working in Shelby County, how many are being deployed as a result of Lee’s decision on Monday, or how long they will be here.

“Due to operational security, we can’t comment further on staffing levels or the length of additional troopers who will be in the area,” Moster stated in an email.

Moster did not immediately respond to a follow-up email asking why THP provided the staffing numbers in August, but won’t now. 

Gov. Lee says public safety is a ‘matter of emergency’

It’s not the first time Lee has announced that he would send more troopers to Shelby County. He added funding for 20 new troopers in the county in early 2022.

Lee also said THP’s recruiting had more than tripled, with more than 1,000 applicants for the class that began in late August. More than 100 of them were Shelby County residents.

Since the start of 2023, 226 people have died in car crashes in Shelby County, according to data maintained by the state. That number has been above 220 each year since 2020. In 2019, 144 people were killed in car accidents in the county.

By comparison, Davidson County has had 120 fatal crashes so far this year.

Multiple studies place Memphis at or near the top of the list of most dangerous cities for drivers and pedestrians.

Highway Patrol steps up pretextual traffic stops for minor offenses in Memphis

THP has also increased pretextual traffic stops in Memphis this year after the Memphis City Council asked the Memphis Police Department to stop such pretextual stops in the wake of the killing of Tyre Nichols.

In these stops, law enforcement officers use minor traffic violations as a pretext to stop drivers and investigate other crimes, such as an outstanding warrant. As a state agency, THP is not bound by Memphis City Council decisions or requests.

Lee’s announcement follows a Nov. 15 letter from state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, who pleaded for more help fighting crime in Memphis, including more state troopers.

“My city is under siege,” Taylor wrote in the letter. He wrote that crime has left citizens “in terror.”

Taylor asked Lee for “unannounced, periodic ‘surges’ to the Memphis interstates (like the I-240 loop) and state routes to increase the presence of law enforcement.”

Poll confirms it: Local residents think speeding is a major problem

He asked for an independent “monitoring team” to publicize crime data, saying that most crime data is unreliable.

“The only data we are getting is coming from the DA’s office or the judicial system,” he told The Daily Memphian. “Both have a vested interest in demonstrating positive outcomes. Memphians do not trust the data. I’m requesting the governor task someone to provide independent data so the DA- and judicial system-provided data can be either verified or challenged.”

He also asked for Lee’s support for Republican crime legislation.

In response to Monday’s announcement, Taylor sent a follow-up letter to Lee thanking him for the deployment of additional troopers to Memphis. 

“These additional troopers will not solve Memphis' crime problem, but it will signal to the public and criminal alike, Tennessee is serious about fighting crime,” Taylor wrote.

Lee has never vetoed a bill. He opposed the 2022 mandatory-minimum “truth in sentencing” law, but let it take effect without his signature.