The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) announced that in its first year, the Memphis Safe Task Force made 13,140 arrests, with the city’s serious crime rate registering a notable decline.
Since the task force began its work on Sept. 29 last year, robberies in Memphis have declined by 47 percent, murders have fallen by 37 percent, sexual assaults are down 30 percent, and aggravated assault has declined by 29 percent, USMS said in a Sept. 29 statement. Overall, serious crimes have decreased by almost 38 percent.
The task force was established by President Donald Trump on Sept. 15, 2025, through a presidential memorandum.
The memo stated that Memphis was suffering from “tremendous levels of violent crime,” which had overwhelmed the ability of the local government to effectively respond to such incidents. The task force’s objective is to end violent and street crime in Memphis “to the greatest possible extent,” the memorandum said. …