Memphis Safe Task Force reports over 12,000 arrests and 2,100 guns seized in first year

One year after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing National Guard troops to Memphis, the Memphis Safe Task Force has recorded more than 12,000 arrests and seized over 2,100 illegal firearms, according to officials. The multi-agency effort targets murderers, sex offenders, drug traffickers and other violent offenders, and is credited with a 36% year-over-year decline in overall crime. Specific crime categories have fallen sharply: motor-vehicle thefts down 57%, robberies 43%, murders 44% and aggravated assaults 27%.

In 2025, total crime was 28% lower than in 2024. High-profile cases include the conviction of Darian Glover for fentanyl distribution that caused three deaths and the sentencing of Courtney Trenell to 15 years for a bank-robbery conspiracy. The operation mirrors a broader federal push that also includes a law-enforcement surge in Washington, D.C., which officials say has produced a marked crime drop there as well.