“THEY DON'T HELP US, BUT THEY DON'T BOTHER US EITHER” crime. “You see seven guys walking down the street with 9 mm Reactions to the Guard have ranged from cautious acceptance to open skepticism among the unhoused community in Memphis. Kenneth Smith, who has been living outside, said the Guard has not interfered or interacted with people experiencing homelessness. “They don’t mess with you,” he said. “I’m sleeping on the ground. They probably don’t like it, but there ain’t too much they can do, so they don’t bother you.” Smith said he was not afraid when the Guard arrived and believes their presence has changed the atmosphere downtown. Smith also said he is frustrated by the Guard’s presence because he sees their deployment as wasted funds that could be used to help those in need. “They don’t help us, but they don’t bother us either,” he said. Another unhoused resident described the Guard’s presence as more theater than solution. Rob, a Desert Storm veteran who has been unhoused for years and asked to be identified by only his first name, said he has had no negative interactions with the Guard, but also no meaningful ones. “It was intimidating at first, but you get used to it,” he said. “They just seem to walk around with nothing to do.” Rob said having any additional law enforcement presence near Beale Street likely prevented partiers from misbehaving, but he saw the Guard presence more like having a teacher watching than law enforcement preventing Glocks, you think twice about doing anything stupid,” he said. “So yeah, maybe it’s a good thing.” He paused, then added, “But that money could be spent better.” PLAYING A LIMITED ROLE Several Guard members emphasized that their role is very limited. Each member interviewed for this story spoke on condition of anonymity. National Guard troops have been a visible presence on Memphis streets for months. Armed and in uniform, they march in small groups through downtown corridors and entertainment districts. The Trump administration has framed the deployment as a crime-reduction measure. On the ground, however, Guard members describe a mission with limited purpose, unclear outcomes, and a growing sense that the money could be better spent elsewhere. “It’s a culture shock for everyone, me too,” said one Guard member. “We’re all from Tennessee and just a little ways from home. But it still is time away from our families.” “We’re not here to do anything more than support other agencies,” said another. “And we don’t really do much of that. We just walk around downtown.” One member added, “We work with DEA, all the agencies. We’re just one big team.” When asked about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the same service member was quick to shut down the line of questioning. “I can’t talk about ICE. I’m not allowed to. That is a whole different party.” For some Guard members, the personal cost of the deployment has been high, even as the purpose of the deployment remains vague. “My youngest is five, and he was born when I was deployed,” one soldier said. “It’s hardest on him to be gone, but I think he understands.” Despite the show of force, Guard members themselves acknowledged that much of their day-to-day presence is observational. One member of the Guard said that there has been little to no participation in arrests or investigations. According to him, the Guard is almost more of a tourist presence than anything else. “People are curious,” he said. “I take photos with people every day who are curious. I’ve probably taken hundreds of photos with families over the past month.” COST WITHOUT CARE Both Smith and Rob said the core issue is not whether the Guard is polite or intimidating, but what the deployment represents in terms of priorities. According to Rob, if the Trump administration really wanted to fix the issues that lead to crime, then the focus would be on creating services, not deploying troops. “If you give the homeless places to live, you give them jobs, you give them healthcare, that’s how you fix issues in this city,” Rob said. “I’m not getting any help from anybody, including the National Guard. I’m just trying to make it.” Smith echoed that sentiment. “For us, nothing really changes,” he said. Rob, an unhoused resident of Memphis, said it was “intimidating at first” to see the National Guard walking around downtown Memphis, “but you get used to it. They just seem to walk around with nothing to do.” 10 NEWS
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