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Many Memphis, Tennessee residents are split over President Donald Trump’s approval to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in the city.
On Monday, President Trump signed a memorandum establishing the “Memphis Safe Task Force” to address crime in Memphis. The task force includes the National Guard, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said the task force will “accelerate the positive momentum” of “Operation Viper,” an ongoing FBI mission that Lee says has led to the arrest of hundreds of violent criminals since July.
“We’ve made significant investments to address crime throughout my seven years in office, and thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Memphis Safe Task Force will ensure we have every resource at our disposal to create significant change,” Lee said.
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Lee also authorized more than 100 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to help local law enforcement in Shelby County.
Memphis has the highest crime rate in the United States, and some residents said federal intervention could be the only way to bring it down quickly.
“I just feel like their presence may deter some. It’s not going to do a whole lot, I don’t think, but I mean, anything will help,” Angela Dowdy, a Memphis resident, said.
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Memphis Mayor Paul Young said a National Guard deployment isn’t necessary, citing a downward trend in crime in the past year.
“I want to be clear: I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it is the way to drive down crime,” Young posted to X.
Memphis reported a 23% drop in Part 1 crimes from 2024 to 2025. The FBI defines Part 1 crimes as criminal homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson and human trafficking.
Dr. George Campbell, a Memphis resident, said he hopes local leaders could use this as an opportunity to take advice from the feds.
“[W]e need to have all the individuals in office really concerned about making a difference in the city and not just put in their pockets or from a political sense, just politics,” Campbell said.
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Memphis business owner Joe Morrow said “crime is bad for business.” With large companies like Google and xAI building data centers in the area, Morrow said something still must be done to solve the city’s crime.
However, Morrow questions whether a National Guard deployment is the answer to solving the city’s lingering crime.
“We’ve got law enforcement here already. We’ve got state troopers that they’ve sent in. We have the FBI here. Different things. The National Guard is just another form of law enforcement,” Morrow said. “Deployment comes with orders. What are the orders that they have when they’re coming here? Am I going to be looked at… as a human being? Or am I something on the list of deployment that is a target or a threat? Which I’m not.”
Michael Kuntzman, a Memphis bar manager, was also concerned that a National Guard presence would hurt the city’s nightlife that his bar relies on.
“I think having a show of force like that will definitely affect nightlife, where people won’t be out if there are bright lights and National Guard in camo everywhere,” Kuntzman said. “I know, I’ll be at the house if that’s the case.”
Trump several weeks ago threatened to send the National Guard to Chicago but was met with strong resistance from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Trump insisted on Tuesday that Chicago is the National Guard’s next stop.
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