Black Memphis residents say they're being harassed by a police task force deployed to combat violent crime, despite the group's stated mission. Reggie Williams, 39, was stopped by two officers and later confronted by four men in an SUV with rifles and body armor who did not identify themselves.
Williams described the encounter as "intimidating" and said he feared for his safety. He remembered being asked if he was from Ethiopia or Ghana and recalling a warning to keep his ID on him at all times, echoing a slavery-era requirement that free African Americans carry "freedom papers."
The task force, dubbed "Memphis Safe Task Force," has been deployed by President Donald Trump's order to combat violent crime. The operation has ensnared innocent residents of the majority-Black city, with reports of traffic stops and confrontations.
Residents have reported being stopped for minor infractions like not wearing a seat belt or looking lost, with some suspecting racial profiling. For example, Alandria London was pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol while driving to the airport; she believed the officer mistook her ethnicity.
The task force's operations are opaque, and data on stops and arrests is scarce. Despite its stated focus on violent crime, nearly three-quarters of the 51 people arrested in the first two weeks were not charged with a violent crime.
Free The 901, an immigrant resource organization, has logged around 120 calls per day reporting law enforcement sightings to its hotline since the deployment. Community organizers are pushing for more transparency and accountability from the task force.
Critics say the deployment is a power grab that erodes civil liberties. James Reid, pastor of Coleman Chapel CME Church, described being stopped by a man in camouflage fatigues who told her she looked lost and asked for her license.
Reid said the experience contradicts the task force's mission to target violent crimes. She emphasized the need for violence interruption programs, public education, and access to mental health care rather than relying on policing.
The deployment has also raised concerns about surveillance and the militarization of the city. Residents are advised to avoid making eye contact with law enforcement, not arguing in public, and steering clear of highly patrolled areas.
Phillip Lewis, a 72-year-old former high school basketball standout, was awakened by loud knocks at his apartment door after being mistakenly identified as a sex offender. His ID was pulled out, but he realized the officers had made an error.
The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshals Service have not responded to questions about Lewis' experience. The incident highlights the need for accountability and transparency in law enforcement operations.
In Memphis, Mayor Paul Young has cast the federal intervention as an opportunity to strengthen local crime-fighting efforts, while some residents welcome the increased policing to make their communities safer.
Williams described the encounter as "intimidating" and said he feared for his safety. He remembered being asked if he was from Ethiopia or Ghana and recalling a warning to keep his ID on him at all times, echoing a slavery-era requirement that free African Americans carry "freedom papers."
The task force, dubbed "Memphis Safe Task Force," has been deployed by President Donald Trump's order to combat violent crime. The operation has ensnared innocent residents of the majority-Black city, with reports of traffic stops and confrontations.
Residents have reported being stopped for minor infractions like not wearing a seat belt or looking lost, with some suspecting racial profiling. For example, Alandria London was pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol while driving to the airport; she believed the officer mistook her ethnicity.
The task force's operations are opaque, and data on stops and arrests is scarce. Despite its stated focus on violent crime, nearly three-quarters of the 51 people arrested in the first two weeks were not charged with a violent crime.
Free The 901, an immigrant resource organization, has logged around 120 calls per day reporting law enforcement sightings to its hotline since the deployment. Community organizers are pushing for more transparency and accountability from the task force.
Critics say the deployment is a power grab that erodes civil liberties. James Reid, pastor of Coleman Chapel CME Church, described being stopped by a man in camouflage fatigues who told her she looked lost and asked for her license.
Reid said the experience contradicts the task force's mission to target violent crimes. She emphasized the need for violence interruption programs, public education, and access to mental health care rather than relying on policing.
The deployment has also raised concerns about surveillance and the militarization of the city. Residents are advised to avoid making eye contact with law enforcement, not arguing in public, and steering clear of highly patrolled areas.
Phillip Lewis, a 72-year-old former high school basketball standout, was awakened by loud knocks at his apartment door after being mistakenly identified as a sex offender. His ID was pulled out, but he realized the officers had made an error.
The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshals Service have not responded to questions about Lewis' experience. The incident highlights the need for accountability and transparency in law enforcement operations.
In Memphis, Mayor Paul Young has cast the federal intervention as an opportunity to strengthen local crime-fighting efforts, while some residents welcome the increased policing to make their communities safer.
It's just so intimidating and scary. What if you're from a different country or culture and they don't know your history? 
We need to make sure our law enforcement is doing its job without targeting innocent people. 
The mayor says it's about strengthening local crime-fighting efforts, but isn't that just code for more police presence in the city? 
they're already worried bout violent crime but now they're gettin stopped & questioned like its 2023 not 1960s america lol 
remember them freedom papers tho?! thats some wild stuff. ugh i wish we could see more transparency from the city gov 
at least free the 901 got a hotline for people to report these incidents thats somethin 
a police task force deployed to combat violent crime ends up harassing innocent black residents and making them feel like they're being hunted in their own city... what's next? 
i mean, i get it, safety is important, but this is just not right. they need to be transparent about who they're stopping and why, and not just make stuff up... like that guy who stopped people for not wearing seatbelts or looking lost... come on! 
it's like they think we're all just waiting around to get caught up in some crime drama... anyway, i'm calling on the mayor to come clean about what's really going on here and to prioritize community outreach over heavy-handed policing. we need our safety, but we also need our humanity back! 
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. These people are being targeted for no reason other than they live in Black Memphis and have a dark complexion. it's like they're saying 'you're not safe unless you fit our narrow definition of 'normal''. Newsflash: policing isn't the answer, we need to address the root causes of violence and invest in community programs 
. The fact that nearly 3/4 of those arrested weren't charged with a violent crime just goes to show they're not really targeting violent crime, but anyone who looks like them 
. We need more transparency and accountability, not less 
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. The fact that most of those who were arrested weren't even charged with a violent crime just proves my point - this isn't about keeping the streets safe, it's about exerting control 
.
It's super concerning that community organizers are having to call in hotlines just to report these sightings - we should be able to walk around without feeling like we're under surveillance 24/7 
. We need more transparency and accountability from these law enforcement agencies, and a lot less militarization in our communities 
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. and yet, we're still trying to figure out how to make our communities safer without eroding civil liberties.
), we need to be having some tough conversations about how we're addressing these problems.
. and sometimes, the most powerful tool in our toolbox is just being honest with ourselves and each other 
. can't we just focus on fixing the real problems instead of using force to "keep our communities safe"? 
. we need to be talking about violence interruption programs, public education, and mental health care 
not militarizing our cities or relying on policing as the sole solution. and let's get real, if you're gonna stop someone for not wearing a seatbelt, that's not even addressing the root issue 
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. we need better, and we need it now 
. Black people in Memphis are being terrorized by a police task force that's supposed to combat violent crime? It's like they're trying to recreate the racist practices of the past, you know? Asking people if they're from Ethiopia or Ghana and warning them to keep their ID handy... it's like they're talking about slavery-era "freedom papers" again 
like y'all need to get more info out there about these stops and arrests, it's not fair to ppl who are just trying to live their lives 
we need safety but also justice for everyone 
how r u supposed 2 know if someone's from a different country or not? 
we need more transparency & accountability in law enforcement 
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. I mean, if nearly three-quarters of the people arrested in the first two weeks weren't even charged with a violent crime, what's the point of all this? 
It just seems like a power grab to me 
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. We need to stand up for our rights and demand better from our government 
.