MEMPHIS, TN - Unlike many blue cities, the city of Memphis, which has developed a reputation for being one of the country’s most violent cities, is welcoming federal assistance to get its crime problem under control, Fox News Digital reports.
City officials are welcoming the help with open arms as the city deals with staffing shortages and skyrocketing crime rates.
In September 2025, President Trump signed a memo authorizing federal law enforcement agents to assist in Memphis to combat crime rates and restore a sense of safety and security to city residents. Federal agencies participating in the effort include the FBI, ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations, along with the Tennessee National Guard. The effort is similar to the successful program implemented in Washington, D.C.
“The city of Memphis, Tennessee, is suffering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government’s ability to respond effectively,” Trump wrote in the memorandum.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment; however, the request wasn’t immediately responded to.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee supports the joint effort and is maintaining command of the National Guard troops deployed to Memphis. New FBI data shows the city has the highest violent crime rate in the U.S.
The president noted data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation showing Memphis saw an increase in violent crimes reported last year, which flies in opposition to some reports suggesting crime numbers nationwide are coming down. Those reports cite the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which is often not considered a reliable barometer of crime statistics.
A more accurate measure is the National Crime Victimization Survey, which asks people about their experience with crime. Since many crime victims do not report it to the police, the FBI’s report only captures incidents where the victim reports it. Law Enforcement Today has previously reported on this phenomenon.
Last year, Memphis saw 1,250 violent crime incidents per 50,000 people, more than doubling the average in Nashville and quadrupling the state average, WSMV reports.
Other data shows the murder rate in Memphis is approximately four times that of Mexico City, widely considered one of the most violent cities in Mexico. It is also 27 times more dangerous than Havana, Cuba.
The Memphis Police Department is an outlier within the narrative of the city’s out-of-control crime, disputing the narrative that suggests otherwise.
“Murder is at a six-year low, aggravated assault a five-year low, and sexual assault at a 20-year low," the department said in a press release. The department didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Conversely, Scottie DeLashmit, president of the Tennessee State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, believes the move will protect officers throughout Memphis at a time when the department has dealt with crippling staff shortages and low morale resulting from relaxed bail policies.
“Our president has decided that he’s coming to Memphis to try to bring law and order to [the city],” DeLashmit told Fox News Digital. “This is what we’re told, which I think is a great idea. However, if we don’t get a better prosecutor in Memphis, all we’re doing is putting extra officers in danger.”
“If we don’t prosecute the criminals once they are arrested, we just say, ‘OK, here’s a signature bond,’ and you’re out and gone. What good are those officers’ duties? That criminal is back on the street before the officer gets through doing the paperwork.”
In the presidential memorandum, the administration called out Shelby County’s new bail policies.
“In 2022, Shelby County overhauled its bail system at the behest of its Soros-funded District Attorney, instituting secured cash bail ‘only as a last resort’ and relying on a system that often results in no bail,” the memo reads.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, which did not respond to a request for comment.
DeLashmit addressed the staffing issue and work environment at the Memphis PD, highlighting the Shelby County District Attorney’s policies involving bail and the city’s “no-pursuit” policy, calling them “pretty disheartening” for police on the streets.
“In Memphis, people will run for this for any reason just because they know Memphis officers aren’t going to chase them, because they have a no-pursuit policy,” DeLashmit told Fox News Digital. “Not that you should pursue simple traffic [violations]. But if you do a heinous crime, such as kidnapping, rape, or robbery, you should be able to chase for that.”
DeLashmit praised the Trump administration for attempting to restore safety in Memphis.
“The officers are working a tremendous amount of overtime, which means they are tired [and] their skills are not going to be 100%,” DeLashmit noted, adding that police response times for backup officers are longer, making the city “not a safe environment” for citizens.
The first National Guard troops arrived in the city Sept. 29, and federal authorities have made hundreds of arrests and issued nearly 3,000 traffic citations, federal officials told the Associated Press.
DeLashmit hopes the joint operations between the Memphis PD and federal authorities will reinforce a sense of security throughout the city.
“When I was growing up, [Memphis] was a safer city,” he said. “It was polite. You could walk anywhere, and hopefully we’ll get back to that. I know times have changed, and I’m not naive. I know it won’t be the way it was 30 years ago, but maybe we can go back to where it’s at least safe to walk down the street without fear of being shot.”
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