State Leaders, Local Authorities Mull Decision to Bring National Guard to Memphis

A city under siege, that’s how one elected official is describing the city of Memphis.

State Senator Brent Taylor says his constituents are calling for the National Guard to come to Memphis following a spike in violent crime.

Taylor sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee Wednesday asking for state resources to help.

From Thieves ransacking multiple stores to the untimely murder of a St. Jude Employee in downtown Memphis, Taylor says the dramatic uptick in crime in Memphis this past weekend motivated him to send a letter to the governor.

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Former Memphis School board member and Pastor Kenneth Whalum has been an early advocate for the National Guard coming to the Bluff City.

“We’re already in a police state except that it’s the criminals policing the streets. We are in a state of emergency. I’ve been saying it for a long, long time,” said Whalum.

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Preliminary TBI data shows a 42% increase in murders in Memphis {snip}

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Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis echoed Akbari’s concerns, adding repeat offenders are the real problem.

“I don’t care if we had the entire United States Army in the City of Memphis if we continue to have the same individuals committing crimes, arresting our way out of this is not possible,” said Davis.

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