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Analysis: To Trump, rise in crime is political, foreign and enabled by Democrats

By , Daily Memphian Updated: March 24, 2026 3:14 PM CT | Published: March 24, 2026 4:00 AM CT
Bill Dries
Daily Memphian

Bill Dries

Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.

Six months into the Memphis Safe Task Force crime fight, there is a disconnect.

All of the leaders of the local, state and federal agencies involved have talked for months about how well and selflessly they have worked together to bring down crime in Memphis.

It’s routine for law enforcement of all stripes to emphasize their cooperation with each other at every chance.


‘We still have work to do,’ Young says as Trump claims credit for Memphis crime


And it’s normal for those leaders to question and even debate the causes of specific categories of crime as well as what tactics work in which situation.

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Donald Trump Memphis Safe Task Force Pete Hegseth Stephen Miller Gadyaces Serralta Subscriber Only

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