Police welcome federal help as Memphis staffing shortages worsen

The Trump administration deployed federal law enforcement officers to one of the… Tennessee blue cities It has been welcomed as a much-needed reprieve by local police struggling with growing staff shortages and astronomical crime rates.

Last month, President Donald Trump Signed a memorandum to mobilize federal law enforcement agents to Memphis in an effort to combat crime rates and restore safety to the community. The task force includes federal agencies such as the FBI, ATF and Homeland Security Investigations joining the Tennessee National Guard, and is modeled after the officers’ deployment in Washington, D.C.

“The city of Memphis, Tennessee, is experiencing massive levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed the ability of its local government to respond effectively,” the president wrote.

Trump orders the National Guard and FBI to move to Memphis in a new crackdown on crimes

A Memphis Police Department officer, right, patrols with National Guard members, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The memo is supported by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who commands the city’s Guard forces, and comes amid the FBI’s release of new data for 2024 revealing that Memphis has the highest rate of violent crimes in the country.

Trump pointed to data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that revealed that Memphis saw an increase In violent crimes It was reported in 2024 – marking a stunning reversal from the national trend of falling crime numbers across the country.

Trump claims FBI deployment has reduced crime in Memphis as the city faces potential National Guard intervention

Federal law enforcement officers stand at the intersection of Bell Street and North Second Street, Wednesday, October 8, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The city also saw about 1,250 violent crime incidents per 50,000 people last year, more than double the Nashville average and four times the state average. according to WSMV.

In 2025, Memphis He scored 161 murders, as Trump revealed that the city’s homicide rate is higher than Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C. and other cities with high crime rates across the country.

Management also looked at the data that appears Murder rates in memphis About four times higher than Mexico City and 27 times higher than Havana, indicating that the city is more dangerous than areas abroad with high crime rates.

Trump eyes federal takeover of blue city with highest violent crime rate in US: ‘Very disturbed’

Members of the National Guard’s 117th Military Police Battalion and a Memphis Police Department officer conduct a community safety patrol at Tom Lee Park, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

However, the Memphis Police Department has questioned the veracity of the narrative that the city is plagued by crime.

The Police Department said in a press release: “Homicide is at its lowest level in six years, aggravated assault is at its lowest level in five years, and sexual assault is at its lowest level in 20 years.”

MPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Memphis Pastor steps back from ‘Murder Capital’ label, sees a safer future for his city

While city data shows the homicide rate is down 21% since 2024, the numbers appear to include statistics from every calendar year — with the full breakdown for 2025 stopping at the full year.

Scotty Delschmidt, president of the Tennessee State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, insists on the move Protects officers Across town as the local police department deals with staff shortages and low morale due to what they believe are lax bail policies.

“Our president has decided that he is going to come to Memphis to try to bring law and order there [the city]”That’s what we’ve been told, and I think it’s a great idea,” Delashmidt told Fox News Digital. “However, if we don’t get a better prosecutor in Memphis, all we are doing is putting more officers at risk.”

Memphis residents are divided over the deployment of the National Guard to fight crime in the city

A Homeland Security vehicle is seen at the intersection of Bell Street and BB King Boulevard, Wednesday, October 8, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“If we don’t prosecute criminals as soon as we arrest them, we just say, ‘Okay, here’s a signature bill, and you’re out and gone. What’s the point of that officer’s duties? That criminal’s back on the street before the officer’s even finished doing the paperwork.’

The Trump administration also cited Shelby County’s newly implemented bail policies in the presidential memorandum.

“In 2022, Shelby County reformed its bail system at the request of a Soros-funded local prosecutor, establishing guaranteed cash bail ‘only as a last resort’ and relying on a system that often results in no bail,” the memo said.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

LA ICE Rids architect arrives in Chicago as focus shifts to the Windy City

A Memphis Police Department officer, right, patrols with National Guard members, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Delschmidt also discussed the crisis surrounding officer hiring and the police work environment, adding that the Shelby County District Attorney’s policies regarding the release of arrestees and the city’s “no pursuit” policy are “very discouraging” for those patrolling the streets.

“In Memphis, people will run for this for any reason just because they know the Memphis officers are not going to chase them, because they have a no-chase policy,” DeLachmidt told Fox News Digital. “It doesn’t mean you have to follow simple traffic [violations]. “But if you commit a heinous crime, like kidnapping, rape or robbery, you should be able to prosecute that.”

Delashmidt welcomes the Trump administration’s push to restore safety in Memphis through the deployment of federal law enforcement officers, while highlighting the real-world obstacles local police currently face.

“Officers are working an enormous amount of overtime, which means they are tired [and] Their skills will never reach 100%, Deschmidt said, adding that the response time for reserve officers has also become longer, and therefore “it’s not a safe environment” for the city’s citizens.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The first troops began arriving in Memphis on Sept. 29, and have since made hundreds of arrests and issued more than 2,800 traffic tickets, federal officials said. He told the Associated Press.

As the city continues to cooperate with the Trump administration, Delashmidt hopes the move will not only put more officers back on the job, but will enhance a sense of safety throughout Memphis that he believes has long been missing.

“When I grew up, [Memphis] “It was a safer city,” he said. “She was polite. You can walk anywhere, and hopefully we can get back to that. I know times have changed and I’m not naive. I know it won’t be the same as it was 30 years ago, but maybe we can get back to where it’s at least safe to walk down the street without fear of getting shot.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter Dabrowska contributed to this report.