In a month’s time, the Trump administration’s “Memphis Safe Task Force” has accomplished what years of hand-wringing, broken policy, and soft-on-crime governance failed to do: restore a sense of safety to one of America’s most notoriously violent cities.
More than 1,700 arrests have been made since the surge began on September 29, including 126 known gang members, and authorities have rescued nearly 80 missing children. A staggering 293 firearms have been seized, according to statistics released to Fox News Digital — part of a robust federal initiative launched in cooperation with state and local law enforcement to clean up the streets of Memphis.
The scope of the operation is sweeping. In addition to National Guard troops deployed with the approval of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, the Department of Justice has mobilized personnel from the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and other agencies. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who joined President Trump to announce the initiative in the Oval Office last month, praised the results — and the rare bipartisan collaboration.
“Tolerating crime is a choice,” Bondi said. “Under President Trump, we choose law and order.”
That choice is already yielding results. According to a Memphis city crime dashboard, violent crime has dropped 46% since September 1 — an extraordinary shift in a city that, just months ago, was leading the nation in violent crime rates, according to an investigation by WSMV.
The details behind the arrest numbers are just as jarring as the statistics. Among those taken into custody:
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A Bullet to Bullet gang member charged with attempted second-degree murder
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A Sureno 13 gang member found with meth and two Chinese nationals, one allegedly in the U.S. illegally
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Two individuals caught with over $1 million in cash
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A fugitive All On The Blade gang member wanted for first-degree murder
This is not merely neighborhood-level crime. It is organized, transnational, and deeply entrenched — and it’s finally being confronted with the full force of federal authority.
What makes this operation especially notable is that, unlike in other Democrat-led cities where federal involvement has sparked legal battles and mass protests (see: Chicago, Portland, Oakland), Memphis has largely welcomed the help. While the city’s Democratic mayor, Paul Young, hasn’t been effusive in his praise, he has cooperated. And that cooperation is proving to be a model for what real law enforcement partnerships can look like — regardless of party affiliation.
Even more telling is the response from residents. In one viral clip, a Memphis woman who insisted she “ain’t into politics” spoke from the heart:
“I will say thank you to Trump… For the first time in five years, my kids have been able to play in the backyard comfortably. I haven’t heard a gunshot in two weeks.”
That is what law and order looks like in real life. Not in press releases, not in performative “community healing” sessions, but in real families finally able to enjoy peace on their own property.
