Courtesy of our news partner WREG.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Attorney General Pam Bondi visited Memphis on Monday along with a host of state and federal leaders, with updated numbers showing the Memphis Safe Task Force’s progress.
Bondi said after 56 days of the federal and state law enforcement surge, murder in Memphis was down 48%, sexual assault was down 49% and robbery was down 61%.
“This surge in Memphis has dramatically dropped crime,” Bondi said. “Tolerating crime is a choice. This administration chooses law and order.”
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One hundred twenty-one children who were reported missing and endangered have been located and returned to safety, Bondi said.
She said there had been more than 3,600 arrests and 531 firearms seized, with federal charges against 157 people. WREG is unable to independently verify those numbers.
Bondi said Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, both of whom joined Bondi onstage, had been calling her, asking her to help make Memphis safer, even before she took office.
Bondi thanked not only Gov. Bill Lee and other Republicans on stage, but Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Police Chief C.J. Davis for their efforts working with the task force to reduce crime.
“Murder rates cut in half, crime rates in Memphis at their lowest level in 20 years,” said Gov. Bill Lee.
HUD director Scott Turner announced a new Memphis HUD crime hotline to announce residents of public housing to report crime: 1-800-347-3735.
