NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Friday that an influx of additional federal law enforcement agents will focus on crime in Memphis starting next week.
The Republican said at a news conference in Memphis alongside city and state officials that some 13 agencies at the federal, state and local level will be involved, and that authorities will arrive in Memphis in phases starting next week.
They include the National Guard, though Lee did not say specifically when troops would arrive. He said the National Guard members will not be making arrests and will not be armed, unless local law enforcement officials request it. Lee has previously said he doesn’t think it would include more than 150 Guard members, but has also said since that the number is still in the planning stages.
President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 12 that he would next send the National Guard to Memphis. He signed an order setting up a task force of law enforcement agencies regarding the mission on Sept. 15.
“The story of crime in Memphis is about to be a story of the past,” Lee said.
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