Memphis, Tennessee
Once upon a time, in a city on the shores of Lake Michigan, a fellow named Al Capone ran wild. His interests and businesses included everything from laundries to brothels, illegal casinos, and of course, his very illegal liquor trade. For the better part of the 1920s and into the 1930’s, Al Capone (and other gangsters) owned, for the most part, the great city of Chicago and its surrounding areas. Police were paid to “look the other way,” and Judges were paid to reduce or dismiss charges (if you worked for or were a friend of Al). This is how Chicago operated for over a decade. Some say it is still operating as it did under Capone and the gang.
It is widely known that Memphis, Tennessee, has had and still does have a very high crime rate. In fact, Memphis is often in the top tier of the highest murder, arson, drug, and gun violence rates in all of America. So much so that President Trump listed Memphis as one of his earliest “clean up campaigns” when calling for troops to be deployed to an urban area. In the summer of 2025, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee had many law enforcement agencies go to Memphis to begin the process of “cleaning” the city and making it safe and livable again.
However, this process is proving to be much more difficult than originally thought. Lee’s idea to assist the Memphis Police Department is now facing issues, and it’s not because of his efforts or those of the more than half-dozen agencies sent to aid. Governor Lee sent:
- Homeland Security Investigation Agents
- The FBI
- Tennessee Highway Patrol
- ICE
- DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
- ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms Agents)
- The U.S. Marshals
- Secret Service
- Internal Revenue Service
- Department of Justice
- Tennessee National Guard
And he even sent in the Tennessee Wildlife folks, for what I’m not sure, but he sent them.
For the past six months, this law enforcement firepower has accomplished a great deal of good. Some 10,000 arrests have been made, with some 1,000 or more illegal firearms being confiscated. These dedicated officers of the law have saved some 200 plus children from being trafficked and or forced prostitution, along with a trainload of gang bangers being arrested. As a side note, it is being reported that since March, over 7,400 arrests have been made.
Unlike Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix, Memphis, Tennessee, is not so much plagued with illegal aliens as they are with gangsters pimping girls, illegal drug sales, gang warfare, and just plain old violence and crime. According to one Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer I spoke with (name is withheld for obvious reasons), most of the problem in Memphis is not law enforcement issues, it is the prosecution of the criminals and the unbelievable corruption between the Memphis Police Department and the street gangs.
One example this high-ranking officer gave me was: A Tennessee Highway Patrol can attempt to pull over (what appears to be a gang banger vehicle), the gangster flees (1st felony). When finally cornered, the gangster will put up a fight (2nd felony), then illegal firearms are found (3rd felony), and illegal drugs are found stuffed under the spare tire (4th felony). The gangster is arrested, taken to jail, and then appears before the Judge the next morning. The Judge tells the defendant to pay his court costs (usually around $250-300), a fine of approximately several hundred dollars, and all charges are dropped. Yes, you read this correctly. The only time a gangster is thrown in jail is when the charges become “federal” charges, as with ICE or something along those lines. These gang bangers are being released back onto the streets daily. One has to now ask the question, “WHY?” Who is behind this almost zero prosecution of Memphis gangsters, and why are the Judges releasing them back into society when they’re clearly guilty of felony crimes?
I asked my informant, “How long do you think it will take to finish this job?” Their answer was years, if ever, or at least until someone cleans up the justice system in Memphis.
Just as in Chicago back in 1928-29, Memphis Police are taking kickbacks and bribes. Judges are either too afraid or being paid off, or both. One thing I did learn about the Judges is that “court costs” go into their retirement accounts, and not to the state or city. Therefore, you have Judges putting upwards of $250,000 a year into their retirement accounts by diverting and allowing this criminal back on the streets. This way, when they have multiple arrests (which they usually do), the Judge has a returning customer.
On the law enforcement side of this ordeal is the near-total lack of support for these many state and federal officers from both the Memphis Police and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. In fact, in one recent meeting with the Memphis Police Department, a Lt. stood and informed many officers from various agencies, “We don’t want you here, and we don’t need you here.” That is a direct quote from that Memphis officer’s mouth. This type of behavior can only be explained by accusing the Department of corruption. The simple fact is, prior to Lee’s ‘sending in the troops,’ the city was virtually out of control. And now that it is being cleaned up, the Police are angry about it? Really?
In an even more troubling bit of information, the Shelby County Sheriff’s officers do absolutely nothing to assist a foreign officer with a criminal being brought in for processing into jail. The outside officer is responsible for all processing, including releasing them from handcuffs and putting on jailhouse clothing. The Shelby officers sit behind a 1-and-1/2-inch plexiglass and watch, laugh, drink coffee, and do nothing as this officer processes the detainee. What happens if they’re jumped by the criminal? I was told that, on average, in every other county in Tennessee, it takes an average of 30 minutes to turn a criminal over to be put in jail. In Shelby County, it takes an average of 4 plus hours. This, to me, is reprehensible.
The bottom line is this. Something is rotten in Memphis and Shelby County. The Department of Justice needs to begin investigating from the mayor’s office on down the cop on the beat.
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