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 Tennessee

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