President Donald Trump has selected Memphis, Tennessee, as his latest focus amid a recent campaign to crack down on the nation’s crime.In a memorandum Monday, Trump ordered the National Guard to Memphis to “restore law and order” — a move that mirrors his actions in Washington, D.C., this past month. Last year, Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime per capita among U.S. cities with a population greater than 100,000, according to data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System. It is trailed by Oakland, California, and Detroit, Michigan. “Violent crime” includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, robbery, rape and aggravated assault. The FBI cautions that city-by-city rankings do not reflect the variety of factors that affect crime rates in a city, like economic conditions and population density.Violent crime counts have been trending downward in Memphis. From 2023 to 2024, a Get the Facts Data Team analysis found that the number of murders in Memphis dropped about 28%, robberies dropped 23%, cases of rape dropped 6% and aggravated assault dropped 2%.The mayor of Memphis has said that he did not request the National Guard. In a social media post, Mayor Paul Young said, “I don’t think it is the way to drive down crime.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, on the other hand, has welcomed the federal intervention. Lee was in the Oval Office when Trump signed his Monday memorandum and expressed gratitude toward the president. So far this year, there have been 158 cases of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in Memphis — a 13% decrease in murders from the same time last year. Memphis had the third-highest murder rate last year among large reporting U.S. cities. Cities do not have to report their crime data to the FBI. Only about 80% of law enforcement agencies report their data, and Pennsylvania and Florida have the smallest number of agencies in their states reporting.Birmingham, Alabama, had the highest murder rate in 2024, followed by St. Louis, Missouri.Washington, D.C., was the first focus of Trump's crime initiative. In August, the president declared a crime emergency and sent the National Guard to the nation’s capital.The crime rates in Washington, D.C., are generally lower than in Memphis. Compared to other large U.S. cities, Washington, D.C., has the 10th highest murder rate, 36th highest violent crime rate and 48th highest motor vehicle theft rate. Violent crime and motor vehicle theft spiked in Washington, D.C., in 2023, but both have been on the decline since, even before National Guard intervention.Motor vehicle theft also spiked in Memphis in 2023 but has lowered since. Last year, Memphis had the third-highest rate of motor vehicle theft.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — President Donald Trump has selected Memphis, Tennessee, as his latest focus amid a recent campaign to crack down on the nation’s crime.
In a memorandum , Trump ordered the National Guard to Memphis to “restore law and order” — a move that mirrors his actions in Washington, D.C., this past month.
Last year, Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime per capita among U.S. cities with a population greater than 100,000, according to data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System. It is trailed by Oakland, California, and Detroit, Michigan.
“Violent crime” includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, robbery, rape and aggravated assault.
The FBI cautions that city-by-city rankings do not reflect the variety of factors that affect crime rates in a city, like economic conditions and population density.
Violent crime counts have been trending downward in Memphis.
From 2023 to 2024, a Get the Facts Data Team analysis found that the number of murders in Memphis dropped about 28%, robberies dropped 23%, cases of rape dropped 6% and aggravated assault dropped 2%.
The mayor of Memphis has said that he did not request the National Guard. In a social media , Mayor Paul Young said, “I don’t think it is the way to drive down crime.”
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, on the other hand, has the federal intervention. Lee was in the Oval Office when Trump signed his Monday memorandum and expressed gratitude toward the president.
So far this year, there have been 158 cases of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in Memphis — a 13% decrease in murders from the same time last year.
Memphis had the third-highest murder rate last year among large reporting U.S. cities.
Cities do not have to report their crime data to the FBI. Only about 80% of law enforcement agencies report their data, and Pennsylvania and Florida have the smallest number of agencies in their states reporting.
Birmingham, Alabama, had the highest murder rate in 2024, followed by St. Louis, Missouri.
Washington, D.C., was the first focus of Trump's crime initiative. In August, the president declared a crime emergency and sent the National Guard to the nation’s capital.
The crime rates in Washington, D.C., are generally lower than in Memphis.
Compared to other large U.S. cities, Washington, D.C., has the 10th highest murder rate, 36th highest violent crime rate and 48th highest motor vehicle theft rate.
Violent crime and motor vehicle theft spiked in Washington, D.C., in 2023, but both have been on the decline since, even before National Guard intervention.
Motor vehicle theft also spiked in Memphis in 2023 but has lowered since. Last year, Memphis had the third-highest rate of motor vehicle theft.
