President Donald Trump arrives to South Lawn of the White House from Camp David on June 9, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He vowed to work with other Tennessee officials and the Trump administration "to make sure that, on a permanent basis, we have extra federal law enforcement once this task force sees its completion."
Trump authorized the Memphis Safe Task Force on Sept. 15 as part of a growing nationwide crackdown on violent crime, which began with the president federalizing Washington, D.C., police on a temporary basis earlier this year.
Memphis had the highest rate of crime of any big city in 2024, according to FBI data, though the Memphis Police Department reported a significant drop in the first eight months of 2025.
The Memphis Police Department recorded 250 murders, 753 cases of rape and over 12,800 aggravated assaults in 2024 alone, according to state crime data.
58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING 'LIFE AND LEGACY' OF CHARLIE KIRK
Troopers regularly seize drugs and weapons around Memphis. Some of the guns they’ve confiscated have been tied to murders and other shootings, according to highway patrol officials. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Since its creation, the task force recovered 45 missing children and made over 900 arrests, Kustoff told Fox News Digital.
He said its work should serve as a model for other cities.
"This is a blueprint, what is being done in Memphis, for other big cities across the country," Kustoff argued. "And I would think that any mayor and any governor who has a problem with crime in their communities would welcome such an effort."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-lawmaker-seeks-permanent-federal-presence-memphis-after-trump-crime-order