Calkins: We agree about crime. We agree things are better. As for the Task Force? It didn’t have to be this hard.
President Donald J. Trump (middle), along with several of his cabinet members, attends a Memphis Safe Task Force roundtable on Monday, March 23, 2026. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.
Here’s something that doesn’t get enough attention: Memphians mostly agree about crime.
Indeed, back in 2023, The Daily Memphian commissioned a public safety poll to gauge city and county residents’ perspectives on crime. And the results demonstrated a stunning degree of unanimity.
Asked how they would describe the crime situation, 86.3% of Memphians and 86.7% of Shelby County residents called it a “major problem.”
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis Safe Task Force Subscriber Only Donald TrumpThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Geoff Calkins on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Geoff Calkins' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Related stories
Community thinks crime is ‘much higher’ than 5 years ago
The Daily Memphian commissioned a scientific poll to reveal both city and county residents' perceptions of local crime, and the results are in.
Public Safety Poll: What Memphis and Shelby County residents think about local crime
The Daily Memphian’s public safety poll surveyed residents for their thoughts on crime rates, gun reform, reckless driving, policing and more. Here is the full list of stories that examine those results.
Memphis Safe Task Force marks one year in the city
News and updates on the Memphis Safe Task Force since formally beginning operations on Sept. 29, 2025, in Memphis.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.