Memphis Residents Welcome Arrival of Federal Agents

By Travis Gillmore

MEMPHIS—Local residents and visitors are welcoming increased police presence in Memphis, as state and local law enforcement collaborate with federal partners under the direction of President Donald Trump.

The president signed a directive on Sept. 15 titled “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis” establishing a Memphis Safe Task Force and ordering the National Guard and a host of government agencies to assist with the operation.

Attorney General Pam Bondi told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 7 that authorities have arrested more than 300 individuals and seized nearly 80 illegal firearms in the first week of the operation.

No guard members were observed in Memphis so far, and it remains unclear when troops will deploy.

The Epoch Times did see many Tennessee State Troopers followed by unmarked vehicles with federal government license plates; the Memphis Police Department making numerous traffic stops around Elvis Presley’s home, known as Graceland, and near shopping areas around town; and dozens of uniformed federal agents on foot in high-traffic areas.

Of the hundreds of individuals The Epoch Times spoke with between Oct. 2 and Oct. 6, the vast majority were in favor of Trump’s order to help mitigate crime in the city known as the Home of Blues.

One local woman who works two jobs—at a restaurant on the iconic Beale St. and as a home health care provider—expressed gratitude for the increased attention on Memphis.

“It’s really good to have the National Guard coming here,” Daphne Carpenter, 37, told The Epoch Times.

Crime is harming the community, she said, recounting multiple shootings that occurred in the area recently, including one incident where a newly graduated 18-year-old female was killed.

With federal agents representing more than a dozen agencies now patrolling the city, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among others, Memphians are safer, from her perspective.

She said Trump deserves credit for prioritizing communities across the country,

“He’s the only president that ever, ever looked out for us like that,” Carpenter said.

Other locals emphasized the Safe and Clean Memphis joint task force’s efforts to identify and detain hardened career criminals as a necessary step to securing the city.

“I definitely feel safer because I know they’re doing fugitive ops and they’re looking for people with open warrants,” Kourtney Winters of Memphis told The Epoch Times while joining a group of friends on a Saturday afternoon.

“Memphis police are too busy doing other things like solving murders and investigating robberies, so getting these agencies to come and actually go find these people, that’s what they need.”

One business owner said the impact of the federal agents’ arrival was immediate.

“The drug dealers that wouldn’t leave my storefront alone are nowhere to be seen,” a convenience store owner, who asked to keep his name and business anonymous for fear of retaliation, told The Epoch Times.

“My customers tell me it’s the safest they’ve ever felt walking into my store.”

Long plagued by theft and loitering, he said relief was desperately needed.

“There was no fear of the law. They were stealing everything and making things very hard for me,” he said.

Putting It in Perspective 

Many of those living in Memphis said their experiences don’t necessarily match the national headlines that label the city as dangerous.

“It affects the life of my kids, and it affects people,” Cosandra Neely, a longtime Memphis teacher, told The Epoch Times. “I just have not seen it on the scale that everybody is talking about that don’t live in Memphis.”

She said that the city is multidimensional, noting that people can discover whatever it is they come looking for—from music and soul food to drugs, alcohol, and other vices.

“If you want to find the good, you’re going to find the good,” Neely said. “But if you want to find the down and dirty, you’ll get the down and dirty.”

Others said situational awareness helps keep them safe, noting that residents and tourists of most major cities around the world face similar challenges.

“Definitely, there are issues, but it depends where you go,” Sarah Tims, born in Memphis and now living in the midtown area of the city, told The Epoch Times.

“I’m single. I live by myself. I don’t worry.”

Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, points to crime statistics that reveal declining rates for certain crimes over the past two years as evidence that federal intervention was unnecessary.

“Our goal is to ensure that the state and federal efforts coming to Memphis are guided by one purpose: to uplift our community and accelerate a safer, stronger future,” Young said in a statement.

“This is our moment to show the world the truth about Memphis. We are a city that rises, a city that leads, and a city that defines itself not by challenges, but by our culture, innovation, and hope.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, is in favor of the task force and joined Trump in the Oval Office in September for its announcement.

Mixed Emotions

“The thing is, even if it helps now, when they leave in a few weeks, a month, they’ll be right back the way it was,” Ernest Lawson, 72—artist, veteran, and longtime Memphis local—told The Epoch Times.

“It’ll probably be worse.”

He said avoiding trouble in Memphis is relatively simple and advised others to pay attention to their surroundings and “avoid dark alleys.”

“All you have to do is be intelligent,” Lawson said. “Everybody is not your friend, but by the same token, everybody is not your enemy.”

Some who were critical of the operation said they felt the money would better serve the community if used for education and anti-poverty measures.

“Memphis has a long history of crime problems. It’s not new,” Michelle, a young woman meeting friends for a birthday gathering at an ice cream shop in one of the city’s art districts, told The Epoch Times.

“This is not like a sudden crisis.”

She questioned the claim that Memphians were struggling compared to residents of other cities nationwide.

“There’s plenty of people that go out, and we enjoy our lives,” said Michelle, who provided only her first name. “We have a great quality of life; if anything, we have better than a lot of major cities because our cost of living is amazing.”

Safer Streets 

Some visitors to the city noticed marked improvement from the last time they were in Memphis.

“It’s a huge transformation tonight from when I previously encountered it,” Chad Cassells, 54, visiting Memphis from Englewood, Florida, told The Epoch Times.

“Before, it was a little bit sketchy. I wouldn’t come out here by myself.”

After hearing news reports that federal support for law enforcement was underway, his family decided to revisit Memphis, stopping to take pictures with FBI agents who were patrolling the area.

Satisfied with the progress made, he said Trump’s law and order policies are benefiting communities nationwide.

“Tell President Trump ‘Thank you,’” Cassels said. “We love that man.”