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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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Tennessee governor predicts lengthy Memphis crime fight

Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout / Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday the Memphis Safe Task Force is "going to last months" or could last forever.
Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout / Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday the Memphis Safe Task Force is "going to last months" or could last forever. Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout / Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday the Memphis Safe Task Force is "going to last months" or could last forever.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday the crime-fighting “surge” of state and federal officers in Memphis will be a long-term effort.

At a Memphis press conference, Lee said the operation’s success will be measured by the reduction of violent crime but gave no specific targets.

“We do know this is going to last for months, and we have just begun. In fact, I will tell you that it will last forever,” Lee said.

At the direction of President Donald Trump and Lee, the U.S. Marshals Service is leading a force made up of local authorities and some 700 officers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, multiple federal agencies and the Tennessee National Guard.

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