National Guard troops have begun patrolling in Memphis, the Memphis Police Department confirmed with NPR.

The Guard members are part of a federal task force, established by President Trump, to combat crime in Memphis. The task force includes agents from several federal agencies. It kicked off operations last week .

The Trump administration has previously described Memphis as "suffering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government's ability to respond effectively."

A small number of Guard members were already in Memphis for planning and logistics purposes, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis said at a city council committee meeting on Tuesday.

As of Friday, it remains unclear how many troops will be deployed and in what locations within Te

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