Image Credit: Senator Brent Taylor / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
As the Memphis Safe Task Force continues to do its part in taking criminals off the streets, one Memphis legislator is working to ensure they aren’t set free again by the area’s Democrat District Attorney.
State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis-District 31) announced he will be filing the Memphis Safe Task Force DA Accountability Act which will require district attorneys to certify to the U.S. Attorney and state legislature any downgraded charges or dismissals of charges that stem from Operation Viper or the Memphis Safe Tack Force.
“With over 2,000 arrests between this summer’s Operation Viper and now the Memphis Safe Task Force, we know the majority of those arrests will bring state charges that must be prosecuted by our district attorney,” Taylor wrote in his announcement. “While my efforts to hold our D.A. accountable have made the D.A. sound more muscular with his social media rhetoric, I am not yet convinced he isn’t undermining public safety with large amounts of dismissals, downgrading of charges, and his Justice Review Unit that seeks to reduce charges for previous convictions. This will allow us to track what D.A. [Steve] Mulroy is doing with the state charges. In other words, we can’t let this once in a generation opportunity go to waste!”
The Senator has also been pressing for accountability from Shelby County’s Democrat District Attorney Steve Mulroy for some time, stating he is “weak” on crime and criticizing his willingness to work with liberal justice reform groups to allow criminals to remain free by eliminating bail.
Mulroy previously came under fire when half of the felons arrested in the Memphis “Code Zero” operation of 2024 were released within days and his announced plans to adopt a policy allowing non-violent felons to avoid being prosecuted for possession of weapons and came.
He came under further scrutiny after entering a deal with the Biden administration’s Department of Justice to cease the enforcement of Tennessee criminal code that prosecutes those who are arrested for prostitution while knowingly afflicted with the HIV virus.
Taylor filed several ethics complaints against Mulroy with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, expressing concerns that he committed “serious ethical violations”, but the filings were ultimately dismissed by the Board for what they called a lack of merit.
In response, Sen. Taylor sponsored Senate Resolution 120 during this past legislative session creating a committee to make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding a disciplinary board for Public Defenders and DAs, and permit misconduct allegations against Mulroy and others to be investigated.
Should the investigation prove the merit of Taylor’s complaints, Mulroy could conceivably be removed from his DA position with a majority 2/3 vote of the General Assembly, though a DA has never been removed by the legislature in Tennessee.
Mulroy also recently appeared with Memphis Mayor Paul Young at a local townhall where he stated that be thinks most immigration-related arrests by the Memphis Safe Task Force are not stemming from criminal activity.
“There doesn’t seem to be any indication of reports of criminal activity other than unlawful presence in the United States,” he said.
Earlier this month, Sen. Taylor testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the rampant crime in Memphis, including the “shocking” 56% dismissal rate, and in favor of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
The task force has made over 1,600 arrests as of Monday, with 239 of those arrests reportedly involving individuals with outstanding warrants for violent crimes. The crime data also shows a 47% drop in serious crimes and an 18% drop in calls for services compared to the same time last year.
Other reports show there have been approximately 700-800 traffic stops per day in Memphis since the task force’s inception, with officers issuing nearly 11,000 citations between all law enforcement agencies like task force officers, Memphis PD, and Shelby County deputies.
“It’s the results that I’ve been looking for since I was elected to office three years ago. I knew this was possible,” said Taylor of the task force’s success.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
