What to know about National Guard, federal forces in Memphis
When the National Guard troops arrive, they will act as “eyes and ears” for other federal and local law enforcement, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said.
There are 39 article(s) tagged National Guard:
When the National Guard troops arrive, they will act as “eyes and ears” for other federal and local law enforcement, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said.
The state argues that a judge was wrong when she ruled that Gov. Bill Lee sent the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis illegally.
The Tennessee National Guard is likely to remain in Memphis until at least early December, as the state has yet to appeal an injunction blocking the deployment.
The boost in the National Guard’s presence comes as State of Tennessee plans to appeal a Nashville chancellor’s blocking of the deployment to Memphis.
The state has contracts to feed and house the National Guard for well more than $6 million — to be paid by the federal government — according to court documents filed Friday.
“Over the next few days, we anticipate the total presence will increase to roughly 350,” the Memphis Police Department said in a statement.
The Daily Memphian asked a selection of community leaders what, in their opinion, the long-term impact of the Memphis Safe Task Force could be.
“We can’t let people who don’t actually live in Memphis tell us how terrible our own city is. ... Yes, there’s risk here – but there’s also rhythm, resilience and beauty.”
While fighting crime is the bulk of its work, the task force has notably been publicizing another statistic: the number of missing children it has located.
This week’s memo says the Justice Department asked for 20 lawyers to help support its offices in Memphis, where the National Guard has been deployed by President Donald Trump.
When it comes to finding out what’s happening in our communities, there’s often no way to know without actually contacting folks and asking them how they are doing.
Over a month ago, Elwood’s Shack posted on social media that the East Memphis restaurant would give any member of the National Guard a free barbecue sandwich — pulled pork, brisket or chicken.
“We’ve been deeply affected in a very negative way by everything that’s happening,” said the general manager of a local restaurant who is encouraging Memphians to support other small businesses. “The sales have dropped like 60% or 70% in the last 15 days.”
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and leaders of other groups seeking to stop the National Guard deployment in Memphis say the city was never offered an option to join their lawsuit.
What do you get when you combine Penny Hardaway, Beale Street, Memphis Pom, the FBI and the National Guard? A night of Memphis basketball that seemed like a dream.
“That jail was already overcrowded; today it holds 800 people over capacity. Incarceration is not the solution.”
Memphians may be intrigued to learn what happened in 1938 in a world where Memphis stood largely united against a National Guard deployment, behind a self-assured leader with a powerful political organization and friends in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could authorize the use of up to 1,000 Tennessee National Guard troops for a whole year as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
The NAACP Memphis Chapter held an event Friday to discuss concerns about the deployment of federal law enforcement agents in Memphis.
There are many who believe additional support to our local law enforcement is a good thing.
“We’re coming in with all of our federal agents, and we are going to charge them federally whenever possible. We’re going to keep them in federal custody,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Chief C.J. Davis said the Memphis Safe Task Force is still evolving and the Memphis Police Department is still learning information every day.
In detailing specifics of the Memphis Safe Task Force, Gov. Bill Lee didn’t dwell on the city’s crime rate. Instead, flanked by Mayor Paul Young and Police Chief C.J. Davis, he pledged that the crime reduction that could come would be lengthy and sustainable.
“Elevate Memphis as a national model: Use this moment of federal attention to highlight Memphis-led solutions as a case study in how cities can reduce crime and strengthen communities without losing their identity.”
Zach Williams has hit comedy gold with his online clips about Grandpa, a National Guard veteran remembering his time in the Bluff City, and a bunch of Memphis-centric inside jokes.
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