Most Memphians agree that the city needs to address crime rates. But residents interviewed by The Daily Memphian on Tuesday, Sept. 16, disagreed about whether a National Guard deployment would offer a solution.

Some raised concerns that bringing troops to the city under President Donald Trump’s new “Memphis Safe Task Force” could irritate political tensions and cause chaos. Others think the move is worth a try if it brings crime down.

“You can’t complain about crime and complain about the National Guard,” said Emory Hammonds, who runs a barber shop in the Southland Mall in Whitehaven.

“But I do have a serious concern about those who are not criminals, young, Black, who don’t know how to conduct themselves when encountered by law enforcement,” Hammonds said. “… A lot of times, they might not comply as they should, and get hurt or killed.” 

Gov. Bill Lee has yet to officially activate the National Guard, part of Trump’s recent directive to tackle crime in cities with Democratic leadership. But the troops are coming “sooner than later” to “magnify” local crime reduction efforts, Lee told The Daily Memphian.

Speaking with Hammonds at a table in the mall Tuesday, resident Shelton Marzette discussed Tyré Nichols, fatally beaten by Memphis police officers in early 2023. He also talked about September 2022: Eliza Fletcher was abducted and murdered during a morning run, and less than a week later the entire city was put on lockdown during a shooting spree that left three people killed and another three injured. 

These major events shifted the ways Memphians perceived their own safety and propelled local crime reduction efforts as federal officials launched a probe into Memphis policing. 

Inside the mall, Marzette also pointed to the experiences he’s had recently, nearby. He spoke optimistically about the National Guard deployment, and believes the troops can help reduce crime. He wondered aloud Tuesday if their presence could have prevented some recent crimes.

A few weeks ago, people stole an armored vehicle from the parking lot across the street, Marzette said. And earlier this summer, a popular regular at Southland was shot and killed while walking home several miles north, in Alcy-Ball. 

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“He was just like a little lamb. … Sheep. Don’t bother nobody. … When you see stuff like that, it’s just sad,” Marzette said of the man, Jerry Shields Jr., who worked as a delivery driver. Shields would take breaks at the mall, and sit at the table making artwork. No one has been arrested in connection to his death, police confirmed Tuesday.

Hammonds walked into his shop and retrieved a shiny purple program from Shields’ funeral service. Everyone knew Prince was his favorite artist, the men said. 

Hammonds had pushed back on Marzette’s depiction of crime, arguing the mall had experienced fewer car break-ins. Plus, he’d said, the news had reported that crime in Memphis was trending down. 

“Down still might be too high,” Hammonds added.

Hammonds said he believes Memphis is “beyond a political solution” for crime. 

“I think it was Ronald Reagan who said, ‘We can get a lot done if we don’t care who gets the credit,’ ” he said, paraphrasing the former president. “That’s where the division comes. It shouldn’t matter who gets the credit.” 

Hammonds also paraphrased a quote from the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter: “The difference in perspective and the capacity to appreciate it is very important,” Hammonds said. 

Across town, students at the University of Memphis who spoke to The Daily Memphian Tuesday each had questions about what a deployment of the National Guard in Memphis may look like. 

“There’s never been a time where I feel like getting a bunch of police in one area actually helps crime,” said student Julius Lassiter, who told The Daily Memphian he’s noticed an influx of police officers. “And in my opinion, I feel like there’s changes that people can make to the structure of Memphis to help crime rather than just start arresting people.” 

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Savannah Branch, another student, said she’s concerned about what could happen if the deployment prompts more traffic stops. 

“I feel a little bit scared about being stopped about little things and how that could escalate,” said Branch, adding that she’s particularly concerned for her younger brothers who are Black. 

Criminal justice major Christopher Jackson said he was concerned about potential backlash to the deployment. 

“I just hope no one gets hurt,” Jackson said, later adding “I’d hate for chaos to break out.” 

Jackson has lived in Memphis for more than half his life, he said, and acknowledged Memphis’ issues with crime. He also pointed out the power dynamics he sees at play between Trump’s directive and Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s stance that the National Guard isn’t the answer. 

“It’s a tangle,” he said. 

A resident of Memphis until the fourth grade, student Brishun Odell visited Memphis regularly until moving back for college. He has questions about what the National Guard troops will be allowed to do in Memphis, and what kind of training they’ll have. 

Odell said he doesn’t perceive Memphis to be any more dangerous than any other city, and crime hasn’t been a problem for him. News coverage of crime contributes to a poor perception, he said. 

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“The news does do a pretty awful job of showing Memphis,” Odell said. “They show the bad a lot more than the good that’s going on.”

Nearby in Orange Mound, Elaine Austin was visiting the community center. She said she’s not sure if the National Guard is the right answer for reducing crime in Memphis. She wonders, too, about whether they’re coming to Memphis to combat crime or to further efforts to deport immigrants, something she said she has read about happening in Washington, D.C., where Trump first deployed the National Guard in response to crime.

 “There’s not a reason to be mad at them, because they’re just doing their job, even though we may not agree with the deployment of the troops here in Memphis,” Austin said of the National Guard. 

“We’ve got a lot going on. A lot going on,” Austin said. “And I don’t know if it’s right or wrong that they’re coming, but if they can make things better, I think that’s positive.”