National Guard Begins Patrols in Memphis in Federal Crackdown on Crime

The National Guard began patrolling in Memphis on Oct 10 as part of a federal law enforcement task force.

Troops were seen alongside Memphis police officers near the landmark Pyramid at the Bass Pro Shops, with some posing for photos with visitors. 

The deployment came after President Donald Trump signed a directive on Sept. 15 titled “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis,” which established a Memphis Safe Task Force that ordered the National Guard and other agencies to assist with policing in the Democrat-governed city. 

Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, made it clear that he had not requested the guard to come to his city.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee, however, said he supported a task force targeting violent offenders.

According to the Crime Commission’s statistics, Memphis crime rates for assaults, carjackings, and homicides have been substantial in recent years. 

Compared to overall county rates, the city of Memphis saw significantly higher instances of murders, domestic violence, robberies, and aggravated assaults during the first six months of 2025. 

Federal officials announced that hundreds of arrests have been made since the start of the Memphis operation on Sept. 29. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump during an Oct. 9 Cabinet meeting at the White House that law enforcement officers have arrested 562 suspects since the deployment to Memphis.

According to Bondi’s report, as of Oct. 8, federal agents have detained 91 individuals, including a man wanted for sexual abuse of a minor, and three other sex offenders, and seized 19 illegal firearms. 

“Everything we did in Memphis was worth it, in my opinion, for that one arrest,” Bondi said. “Think about that. We got a child rapist off the streets … and we’re still going strong in Memphis.”

The arrests include those with active warrants for drugs, firearms, and sex offenses, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Additionally, four people were arrested and charged with homicide.

Local residents appeared welcoming to the increased police presence. 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.

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

The Memphis push for safer streets comes after several other cities saw the deployment of National Guard troops. 

However, a federal judge in Illinois has blocked a similar deployment of the National Guard to the Chicago area for the past two weeks. 

Travis Gillmore and The Associated Press contributed to this report.