Nashville, Tennessee
President Donald Trump deployed more than 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in a crime-centered mission, and now he wants a replica of that in Memphis, but the early blueprints show key differences.
Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee has publicly said he would not expect more than 150 National Guard members to be sent to Memphis, though he’s said the numbers aren’t solidified. The city has said there won’t be tanks. And the Guard troops won’t be armed unless local authorities request that, Lee said.
Next week, Memphis will get its first batch of additional federal officers. In waves over weeks and months, they will come from 13 federal agencies, ranging from immigration to drug enforcement. The Guard members won’t be making arrests, Lee said.
The majority-Black city also presents some stark differences compared with the nation’s capital. It’s roughly four times as expansive with almost 100,000 fewer residents.
Memphis and Washington
In growing Tennessee, Memphis’ population has been declining, with nearly 611,000 people across nearly 300 square miles. Washington includes about 702,000 people in roughly 68 square miles.
Memphis sees about half the number of visitors annually as Washington, with its wider path of sightseeing areas. Memphis might similarly see troops in tourist spots.
Thaddeus Johnson, a former Memphis police commander and a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, worries the presence of troops could worsen Memphis’ economy.
“Imagine a place like Memphis that already can’t compete when it comes to those things, they’re struggling with tourism and getting people to come and feel safe,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure if that’s going to bring businesses back.”
Johnson said it’s important for people to feel safe in highly visited areas, but some neighborhoods have greater needs. Lee has pledged a long-term effort, but Johnson said that if the follow-through isn’t enough, the situation could get worse before it gets better.
Governor and mayor weigh in
Lee’s estimate of 150 National Guard members came with the caveat that it’s not finalized, and he’s been hesitant to repeat it. And while authorities from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will be in town starting next week, it’s unclear when Guard members will arrive. Lee also said 300 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers will be in the region.
Trump’s Sept. 15 order setting up the Memphis task force calls for “large-scale saturation of besieged neighborhoods with law enforcement personnel” and “strict enforcement of applicable quality-of-life, nuisance, and public-safety laws.”
Lee has said the National Guard members will be from Tennessee, the vast majority of them military police, trained for law enforcement. He announced another $100 million from the state for public safety grants for Memphis.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, has said Washington city officials told him the Guard functioned there more as “a large-scale neighborhood watch than frontline police officers.”
