U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta said public safety in Memphis has visibly improved as a result of the ongoing joint federal and local law enforcement efforts working to reduce violent crime in the city, with residents once again feeling safe to return to places like Beale Street.
Serralta joined U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for an episode of her podcast Unmuted with Marsha, shared exclusively with The Tennessee Star, where he offered his firsthand insights into the joint law enforcement operations underway in Memphis.
In October, the U.S. Marshals Service announced that the Memphis Safe Task Force resulted in a total of 1,862 arrests, the discovery of 88 missing children, and the seizure of 313 guns.
Serralta explained that much of the Memphis Safe Task Force’s success stems from its behind-the-scenes coordination, including the establishment of a Joint Operations Command Center that enables continuous communication and adaptation to shifting criminal activity.
“We have what we call a JOCC. It’s Joint Operations Command Center that has been supplied to us by Shelby County Emergency Operations Center. We’re able to sit there with the different agency representatives. I was on the phone with TBI. I had a question for TBI, so they just walk over to that individual and hand them the phone, and I ask the agency the question,” Serralta said.
“So, everybody is present, everybody’s pitching in. We have meetings where we tweak and adjust our plan going forward because criminals, they don’t stay stagnant. They don’t do the same thing every day, so we’re constantly changing our plan of action to make sure that we keep up with them and pass them up,” he added.
Serralta, who joined Blackburn in D.C. for the interview after returning from Memphis, noted public safety in the city has visibly improved, with residents feeling confident enough to return to places like Beale Street for the first time in years.
“I like to get out there and patrol with our men and women…and I was on Beale Street, and numerous individuals came up to us and thanked us for our service and for being there. One couple told me that they hadn’t been on Beale Street for 12 years, and the only reason they came out was because they knew it was safe,” Serralta said.
He added that locals regularly approach officers to thank them, with some residents even saying they finally feel safe enough to allow their children to play outside.
“That’s what fills the gas tank of the law enforcement officers that are out there. We all trade stories about how wonderful Memphians have treated us, the kind words that they tell us,” Serralta said.
Serralta praised the collaboration among city, county, state, and federal authorities working in Memphis, noting how the cooperation among agencies has fostered a strong sense of unity and learning.
“We’re becoming family in Memphis…We’re all learning from each other, and the one thing that can’t be taken away is knowledge,” he said.
Serralta specifically thanked the Memphis mayor, police chief, sheriff, and federal leadership, especially President Donald Trump, who he said has personally asked for updates on Memphis and emphasized a commitment to safety over speed or publicity.
“[President Trump] is not rushing the job. His commitment is to make Memphis safe, and he is supporting you and everyone else in the State of Tennessee to ensure that that happens correctly,” Serralta explained.
“That is something that is not common in law enforcement. They always want us to rush the cases, make the arrests, have the media out there. But it has not been that way. That’s something that I think matters,” he added.
Looking ahead, Blackburn and Serralta discussed the next phase of rebuilding Memphis’s own police force and maintaining safety once the task force concludes.
Serralta stressed that such a change will require reviewing law enforcement policies, maintaining interagency relationships, and ensuring that local officers are empowered rather than constrained by bureaucracy.
“There are multiple layers to the success of this. One of them is the law enforcement policies that are in place…What happens is if we handcuff our law enforcement officers, then the handcuffs are taken off the bad guys who are going to get away,” he said.
In closing, Serralta said he’s “very proud” of the coordinated effort in Memphis, adding, “I look forward to continuing our service there.”
Blackburn concurred, saying, “Excitement around cleaning up Memphis is something like I have never seen.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Tennessee National Guard Members” by Tennessee National Guard.
