MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WTVF-TV) — Memphis is preparing for national guard troops to come into the city as part of a law enforcement surge announced by President Donald Trump.
The Memphis City Council failed to pass a resolution opposing the guard's deployment earlier this week.
State Representative Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) discussed the deployment on Inside Politics.
"If this is going to happen, we will make the best of it," State Representative Parkinson said.
He added, "We did not ask for it. We didn't want it, but it's outside our purview. It's outside our decision making."
Parkinson served in the Marine Corps and is a retired Memphis firefighter.
He seemed to want to calm some of the rhetoric around the deployment.
"Here's what I will not do, be emotionally driven by any of this, because I understand a lot of it is politics. A lot of it is buzz words," Parkinson said.
He said Memphis needs to take advantage of the opportunity to lower crime.
"I don't care what they throw at me, at us. I am going to take it and try to flip it to my benefit and the benefit of my people. That's my mindset," Parkinson said.
President Trump cited FBI statistics when he announced the deployment that showed Memphis had highest homicide rate in the country last year, followed by Baltimore.
But Parkinson disagreed with those numbers and how the President characterized crime in Memphis.
"I would describe it as crime is going down and is at a 25-year low, just like what our police chief is saying and what out Mayor is saying," Parkinson said.
He said there is a big difference between national crime stats and the stats of state and city officials.
When asked if there is a crime problem in Memphis, he said, "There absolutely is. There is a crime problem in every single city across America and rural communities too."
Despite pushing back on the crime numbers, he said he wants this effort to bring down crime.
And when the troop deployment is over, and the President declares victory, he said he wants resources to keep coming to Memphis.
"Whatever that budget was, you should allocate that budget to Memphis, so that you can continue your victory lap Mr. President," Parkinson said.
Parkinson said he was told this will cost $1 million a day, and he believes it will last two months.
He also said he believes the troops called to Memphis will be from the Memphis area, along with a commander from Bolivar, Tennessee which is right outside Memphis.
You can see the entire interview on Inside Politics which airs at 7pm on Friday night on NewsChannel 5 Plus and then throughout the weekend.
Inside Politics is also available as a podcast.
Just enter Inside Politics Nashville and start listening.
