Members of the community are asking Memphis Mayor Paul Young and other elected officials to put public safety at the forefront as the National Guard arrives in Memphis.
Free The 901, a campaign combined of community, faith, labor, and civic organizers, released a letter to Young asking for executive orders to ensure protection from Memphis Police Department (MPD), federal agents, and the Guard.
The campaign is asking for enhanced transparency and policy preventing “coordination” between the groups. Organizers address concerns regarding the presence of U.S. Marshals, and the expansion of their operations. The letter said they expect “more than 100 arrests per night.”
“We are alarmed that federal officials are expanding arrest operations and requesting additional bed space in already overcrowded facilities,” the letter said. “This puts our people at immediate risk.”
Not only is the campaign concerned with the capacity of 201 Poplar, they question if “overflow detainees” could be sent to Mason, Tennessee.
The letter also addresses a memo issued by the White House on September 15 entitled “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis.” Government officials acknowledge the city as “suffering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government’s ability to respond effectively.”
As a result, the “Memphis Safe Task Force” was established and given authority to what Free The 901 refers to as “aggressive enforcement” for “offenses” such as loitering, lack of identification, gathering at gas stations and more.
“These are pretexts for harassment that will disproportionately target Black, Brown, poor, and unhoused Memphians,” Free The 901 said. “The memo’s language, promising ‘strict enforcement of nuisance and public-safety laws’ and naming demonstration activity alongside ‘trespassing’ and ‘vagrancy,’ mirrors the playbook used in D.C., Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago where federal and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations escalated into widespread civil rights abuses.”
Citizens have noted their concern about the Guard’s occupation being similar to cities like Washington, D.C.. This week, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis addressed these apprehensions during a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) webinar, where she explained the Guard has been deployed by the state for Memphis.
Organizers are asking Young to publish daily reports regarding police, federal, and Guard activity including citations issued, arrests totals and reasons for arrests, use-of-force incidents and more.
Along with requesting federal agents, state troopers, and the National Guard to wear visible uniforms and wear body cameras, the campaign has requested a meeting with city officials to “identify safety and support needs during the deployment.”
Organizers have also urged the mayor to prohibit federal and Guard access to city-owned facilities, as well as use of firearms. Young has been asked to mandate Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between the Guard to be publicly accessible.
“Memphis has always been a city of courage and conscience,” the letter said. “We call on you to honor that legacy now by standing firmly with our community in this time of need.”
