Behind the Headlines Podcast · WKNO/The Daily Memphian

1635:Steve Mulroy's mixed review of the Memphis Safe Task Force

·32 min·2 clips

Steve Mulroy says the Memphis Safe Task Force has both “good and bad,” but calls ICE “the most toxic thing.”

Eric Barnes opens with Steve Mulroy and Bill Dries on the Memphis Safe Task Force. Mulroy says the task force has both good and bad elements. He is blunt that the National Guard has not been much help. He says that part has been a waste of money. He is just as clear that trained civilian federal law enforcement agents have been useful. In his view, they have helped reduce the backlog of outstanding warrants. The discussion then turns to reporting requirements tied to cases connected with Operation Viper and the Memphis Safe Task Force. Mulroy argues that the legislature already passed a law requiring regular case-disposition reporting from all 32 district attorneys. He says the new proposal would force his office to isolate a subset of cases and send them to multiple agencies every 24 hours. He calls that duplicative. He also calls it burdensome. He says it would pull staff time away from work that actually makes Memphis and Shelby County safer. He adds that the proposal feels insulting to local law enforcement. His point is that the cases should be treated the same whether they come through the federal task force or local police. The conversation then shifts to another Shelby County proposal. Bill Dries raises the idea of dividing the county into separate judicial districts. Mulroy says Shelby County already has one judicial district and that changing it would create a whole new court system and a whole new DA's office. He says that would probably be extremely expensive. He does not think it is necessary. Across the interview, the discussion stays rooted in Memphis and Shelby County criminal-justice policy, with a focus on reporting obligations, court structure, and the practical cost of changing how the system works.

As heard by us

A practical look at what the task force has helped, what it has burdened, and why that split matters.

Steve Mulroy treats the Memphis Safe Task Force with some care here. He separates what it has actually helped from what it has not, and that makes the episode feel more grounded than a simple verdict.

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Why you'd press play

You want a grounded read on the Memphis Safe Task Force, not the spin.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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