Members of the Shelby County Commission approved an add-on resolution Wednesday, Sept. 17, requesting that Gov. Bill Lee call off plans for a National Guard deployment to Memphis and instead invest in the city’s most crime-ridden areas.
However, a separate resolution that acknowledges the deployment as inevitable was pushed to the next meeting Monday, Sept. 22. That item would ask that troops, if sent, operate under the direction of local law enforcement.
“I don’t think the National Guard is going to change that narrative,” said Commissioner Charlie Caswell Jr. “If they are to come to our city, we want our local authority to still have control over this process, because they know this community.”
Meanwhile, an ordinance requesting Gov. Lee not send guard troops is expected to be introduced by the Memphis City Council Tuesday. Co-sponsors Jerri Green, JB Smiley and Pearl Walker announced their intentions during a Friday, Sept. 19, press conference. Council member Jeff Warren is another sponsor. He did not attend.
On Sept. 12, Memphis Mayor Paul Young confirmed the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the Guard to Memphis. According to the president, the troops would be sent to “fight crime.”
Other cities have already seen troop deployments. In Los Angeles, the National Guard has mainly been used during immigration protests. In Washington, D.C., soldiers were sent in mid-August following the assault of a Republican staffer. D.C. police were also federalized for 30 days. Critics say the president used the incident as a pretext to expand federal power.
They argue the real goal isn’t crime reduction but interference in Democratic-majority cities. Trump has also threatened to send troops to Chicago, though Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has resisted. Some members of the Shelby County Commission say Tennessee should do the same.
“They are going to go to the major Black cities across the country. This is just a stepping stone,” said Commissioner Erika Sugarmon. “I think we need to stay united and stay strong because we will be sending the wrong message if we acquiesce at this point.”
Opponents of the deployment also point to falling crime rates. According to Memphis Police Department data, the city’s violent crime rate has dropped 22% in the past year, down to 2,501 incidents per 100,000 people. Still, that number remains nearly three times the national average.
Commissioners approved Sugarmon’s resolution by a 3–2 vote, with three members abstaining. The resolution not only opposes deployment but also calls for investment in high-crime areas like North and South Memphis —- both home to long-marginalized communities of color.
It asks the governor to “direct state support towards strategic public safety investments,” including a new crime lab to serve local law enforcement. Currently, most forensic analysis for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police is handled at the state lab in Jackson.
Still, like in Illinois, the decision ultimately lies with the governor. Many on the commission expect Lee, a Republican, to go along with the president’s plan.
Caswell said he supports many of the investments Sugarmon is calling for, particularly funding for education and addressing the “root cause” of crime: poverty. But he also acknowledged that, in his district, some residents are calling for the Guard.
“Some of the things asked for in the resolution we’ve asked the state the last three years,” Caswell said. “Yet to see anything.”
The District 6 commissioner said many in his community of Raleigh would support a deployment if it would bring down crime. He told colleagues there are “30 to 40” people near his home armed with AK-47s on any given night.
“Constituents in my community are begging for something to get done,” he said. “Young people are saying they want the National Guard.”
Commissioner Britney Thornton agreed. After talking with residents, she said many aren’t afraid of troops on their streets. They’re hopeful the presence might lead to fewer shootings.
“Sometimes the advocates can be a little away from the pulse of what’s on the street,” Thornton said.
As currently written, the deferred resolution requests “terms ensuring legal and strategic utilization of federal, state, and local resources” if the Guard is deployed. It is expected to be amended before the full meeting on Sept. 22. Caswell said he wants to tailor the resolution to limit troops to “federal public facilities” and to “provide protections and support” for county residents.
In D.C., troops have largely been used to support law enforcement, conduct security patrols and carry out “beautification tasks” like picking up trash. If deployed in Memphis, the soldiers would likely be Tennessee residents with experience as military police.
“I am not in support of the National Guard coming at all,” said Commission Chairwoman Shante Avant, a co-sponsor of Sugarmon’s resolution. “But I do think that we should be proactive in the way that inter-agencies need to work together and also on behalf of the communities that we are serving.”
Before the commission moved on from Caswell’s proposal, Commissioner Michael Whaley suggested combining the two resolutions. Sugarmon quickly shut that down.
“I don’t want them co-mingled,” she said.
