Lee spotlights Memphis SAFE task force, proposes $80 million grants and more troopers for Shelby County
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Summary
Governor Bill Lee credited the Memphis SAFE task force for reductions in crime and the recovery of missing children, and proposed $80 million in grants and a permanent assignment of 100 troopers to Shelby County as part of the state budget.
NASHVILLE — In his State of the State, Governor Bill Lee credited a coordinated task force and several agencies for sharp crime reductions in Shelby County and announced new public-safety investments for Memphis.
"This Herculean effort has in fact created generational change in Memphis," Lee said, adding that reported crime metrics in Shelby County were down "55%" as part of the task-force results he described. He also credited the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and a newly established missing-child unit, led by Special Agent Emily Kiefer, with recovering missing children in Memphis.
To sustain momentum, Lee proposed $80,000,000 in grants aimed at accelerating work in Memphis and said the administration would increase Tennessee Highway Patrol presence by permanently placing 100 troopers in Shelby County. He also proposed adding 50 Highway Patrol positions statewide to reach a benchmark of 1,300 troopers, a target cited earlier in his tenure.
Why it matters: The proposals would shift state funding and personnel priorities toward Shelby County and aim to maintain gains the governor attributes to a multijurisdictional task force; the governor framed the investments as part of a broader statewide public-safety strategy.
What’s next: Budget committees and public-safety subcommittees will review the proposed grants and trooper positions; the governor did not provide implementing legislation in the speech.