Memphis Mayor Paul Young said on 13/9 that he had been informed earlier in the week by the Tennessee Governor's Office that President Donald Trump's administration was considering deploying the National Guard to the city.
Discussions continued throughout the week, with Young also raising the possibility of increased law enforcement presence through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
However, President Trump's announcement on Fox & Friends on 12/9 about the decision to deploy the National Guard to Memphis was the first definitive confirmation Mayor Young received. He is currently unaware of the number of troops to be deployed, their arrival time, their role, or other details.
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Mayor Paul Young at a press conference in Memphis, Tennessee on 12/9. Photo: AP |
Mayor Paul Young at a press conference in Memphis, Tennessee on 12/9. Photo: AP
Young expressed his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration's decision, stating that deploying the National Guard is not the way to reduce crime.
In his announcement, Trump described Memphis as "very unstable" and "troubled" by crime. The president did not disclose the size of the force to be deployed to Memphis but noted that he is prepared to "send in the army if necessary".
In 2024, Memphis recorded approximately 2,500 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in Tennessee and among the highest in the US, according to FBI data. This level of violence is more than three times the national average and higher than other cities with high crime rates like St. Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore.
According to data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Memphis's 2024 crime rate was lower than in 2023 and 2022 but higher than the 2010-2021 period. Memphis has also faced persistent gun violence issues for years. The city experienced an unprecedented 390 murders in 2023.
Mayor Young acknowledged the city's serious crime problem. He also expressed understanding of the city residents' anxieties, noting that the National Guard was previously deployed in Memphis in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. "We don't want to bring back those images," he said.
Huyen Le (According to AP, Newsweek, NY Post)
