US President Donald Trump, joined by Tennessee's Republican Governor Bill Lee, on Monday established a task force to combat crime in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Democratic-led city is the second to face a Trump administration crackdown on crime, following Washington DC.
Trump has vowed to 'fix' the city after shelving plans for a similar operation in Chicago, reportedly due to opposition from local and state officials.
Memphis' mayor, Paul Young, expressed his opposition to the plan, claiming that crime is already declining without federal intervention.
The president stated that Memphis is 'overrun' with offenses like carjackings and robberies, asserting that, 'We're not going to allow this kind of savagery to destroy our society anymore.'
The plan mirrors a recent initiative in Washington DC, which involved federal agencies including the National Guard and FBI to address street violence.
Despite the announcement, Mayor Young raised concerns about how federal forces will engage with the community, expressing a desire to influence operational strategies.
Statistics reveal that Memphis has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the nation, intensifying the urgency for action.
Nevertheless, local opinion surrounding the deployment of federal troops remains highly divided, with legal scrutiny regarding their use in domestic settings.
