Tennessee National Guard troops will begin patrolling Memphis on Friday, the city announced in an online update.
Hundreds of state highway patrol officers and federal agents have been present in the city since late September, making dozens of arrests and confiscating firearms. But the National Guard’s arrival had been an open question.
Memphis officials, aware of widespread wariness and uncertainty in the city, announced the start of Guard patrols on a website they have been using to keep residents informed. It was unclear how many troops would be deployed.
National Guard members will have on their standard uniforms and will not be wearing masks, making arrests or issuing warrants, according to the website. It says troops “will provide additional eyes and ears” to Memphis police officers and will be deputized by the United States Marshals Service, which is in charge of the federal task force.
Memphis officials have argued that crime has dropped in the city in recent months. Crime rates, however, remain some of the highest in the nation, and the local courts remain overwhelmed with cases.
Unlike Chicago and Portland, Memphis is in a Republican state where the governor and legislature support President Trump’s push to crack down on crime in Democratic-led cities. Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, has said that he did not support bringing the National Guard to Memphis and that he would like a say in the deployment of federal forces.
Because Memphis is a majority-Black city where the police department has been accused of using aggressive, discriminatory tactics, there are particular concerns that residents of color could be disproportionately targeted in the new crime-fighting effort. Community leaders and groups have taken to social media to update neighbors on where federal agents have been seen and to urge caution.
Emily Cochrane is a national reporter for The Times covering the American South, based in Nashville.
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