Image Credit: @USMarshalsHQ / X
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
In the 42 days since its inception, the Memphis Safe Task Force has made over 2,000 arrests, cleared more than 1,000 warrants, and recovered upwards of 100 missing children, including one found all the way in Hawaii, as the multiagency team works to restore law and order to the Bluff City.
According to the Nov. 10 update from the U.S. Marshals Service, the task force has made 2,390 total arrests, seized 395 illegal firearms, and apprehended 144 known gang members.
Additionally, the 31-agency coalition has executed or resolved over 1,000 active federal and state warrants for charges including homicide, narcotics, firearms, and sex offenses, removing them from active status in law enforcement databases and emphasizing the task force’s ability to apprehend fugitives.
“Over 1,000 warrants cleared in 41 days is quick work and we aren’t slowing down,” said U.S. Marshals Service Operation Commander Chad Hunt in a press release on Sunday, Nov. 9. “We will continue to investigate each warrant we adopt and arrest the assailants to make Memphis and Shelby County a safer place to live.”
Another notable accomplishment of the task force is the safe recovery of 105 missing children, many of whom begin as runaways but become targets and prey of human traffickers or end up in lives of crime. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), nearly one in six runaways reported to the organization is likely to be a victim of sex trafficking.
Some runaways are fleeing abusive or dangerous home situations, in which case investigators and officers make referrals to the Department of Children’s Services to have the child removed from the home once they are recovered.
Children are found miles from home or even across state lines, often in dangerous living conditions or as the victims of exploitation or further abuse. Officials have said the operation has led to numerous arrests, including individuals wanted for kidnapping, sex crimes, and drug trafficking.
One such case is the recent recovery of a 15-year-old found to be living in a minivan with his father in Hawaii. The Memphis teen was reported as a runaway on Sept. 2, last seen walking along Highway 64 before being found on a construction site in Hawaii. Reportedly, a tipster told NCMEC that the child’s father was his employee and was bringing the child to work, living in a minivan on the property, and refusing to leave despite the owner’s request. NCMEC then relayed the tip to the U.S. Marshals.
On Nov. 6, the Honolulu Police Department responded to the address and found the missing teen in a garage with other individuals, but the father was not present. It was further discovered the father has a hearty criminal history in Hawaii and California that includes multiple counts of domestic violence, abuse, drugs, battery, and burglary.
“We are happy that we have been able to use our fugitive hunting skills to assist local and state authorities with finding these missing children,” said U.S. Marshals Spokesperson Emily Willimas of the 105 recoveries. “What a testament to our partnerships to be able to work these cases together. While investigative work is tedious, locating missing and endangered children is one of the things we are most proud of.”
And the efforts of the team seem to be noticeably paying off, as recent polling shows 63% of Tennesseans approve of President Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to Memphis. Majority of Republicans surveyed supported the deployment while mostly Democrats comprised the roughly 33% opposed.
But physical arrests aren’t enough to ensure the long-term success of the task force. State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis-District 31), the Shelby County Republican Party, and many others have expressed concern about liberal Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s ability and willingness to appropriately prosecute the arrests as he has a history of reducing or dismissing charges and engaging in “restorative justice” practices.
To address the issue, Sen. Taylor has introduced the Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act which will require local district attorneys in judicial districts where the task force is in operation to certify to several oversight officials and boards why they, for felony charges, enter a plea agreement, lower a charge, or refuse to prosecute offenses. Taylor hopes this legislation will disincentivize the DAs from putting the offenders back onto the streets and create parameters to assure proper prosecution.
The Shelby County Republican Party also unanimously passed a resolution calling for oversight of Shelby County DAs and urging the federal government to implement “oversight and tracking mechanisms for arrests made under the Memphis Safe Task Force to prevent the potential undermining of the Task Force’s successes by local prosecutorial leniency, particularly from Soros-backed Steve Mulroy.”
Sen. Taylor recently shared an interview clip of U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty discussing the impact of purchased DAs like Mulroy and a tactic for getting around unwilling prosecutors by ensuring charges from the arrests are federal, thereby avoiding the local DA’s involvement in the judiciary process for those offenders.
“We’ve got, I think in total, 13 or 14 different federal agencies that are on the ground working on this to make certain that when we pick these people up, these criminals, that they’re being charged federally. That’s how we get around the Soros-appointed DA,” Haggerty explained.
It seems Tennessee may be the blueprint for future such operations across the nation as the Memphis Safe Task Force continues to make solid headway despite Democrat protest and the Trump administration continues its tough-on-crime approach.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
