This Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the Memphis Safe Task Force, and it’s creating quite a stir among local families and Republican officials who are currently opposing the county’s district attorney in court.
Dalisia Ballinger, a mother from Memphis and journalist, expressed her frustration to the Daily Caller, labeling Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy as “one of the worst DAs we’ve had.” She accused him of routinely dropping charges and releasing criminals back into the community, all while trying to block state legislation meant to hold his office accountable.
The task force came into being via an executive order by President Donald Trump last year, aiming to unite various agencies with local and state officials to combat violent crime in Memphis.
In May, Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act into law, reinforcing the task force’s efforts.
I’ll never ever forget this day!!
One year later…
Thank you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump my American Eagle for hearing a real American..
Thank you for giving me a platform to share the TRUTH.
It was an absolute honor to impress the highest office of the United States!
🇺🇸… pic.twitter.com/J7pOZiZghG
— Dalisia Ballinger (@DBallinger901) September 15, 2026
Ballinger noted that the task force’s initiatives have positively impacted her life, saying she has gone from being too afraid to leave her home to now allowing her children to play outside. She recounted a time when she would hear gunshots and had to crawl back into her house for safety, but now there’s been a significant reduction in that noise.
Interestingly, Ballinger was initially a Democrat when she began posting on social media about the changes in her neighborhood since the task force took action. “I was a hard liberal, hard Democrat,” she admitted. “But when he actually did something and put our neighborhood first, I had to give credit where it was due.”
However, the attention her video received led to her dismissal from her reporting job. Just five months later, she found herself sitting next to Trump during an official visit, a moment she described as one of the best days for her family.
Meeting the President was one of the greatest days of my life outside of having kids and being married. I’m going to share this picture over and over as a testament that my president is not racist! I love me some DJT🥰🥰🥰 #MAGA #Trump #TeamTrump pic.twitter.com/QcotzxlOq9
— Dalisia Ballinger (@DBallinger901) April 7, 2026
While that’s just her perspective, it does align somewhat with the statistics released by the Trump administration this week, celebrating the anniversary. Since the task force began, there have been 12,747 arrests, including 131 for homicide and 125 for sexual offenses. Furthermore, crime in Memphis has reportedly dropped by 36 percent from last year, specifically noting declines in murders, motor vehicle thefts, robberies, and shoplifting.
Even in Mulroy’s jurisdiction, there has been a drop in violent crime over 30 percent, and major property crimes have seen a decline exceeding 40 percent, according to the president’s figures.
Nevertheless, Mulroy is seeking to dismantle the task force through a lawsuit, claiming that the governor’s accountability law undermines the independence of locally elected prosecutors and unnecessarily reinforces existing reporting mandates, while also seeming to target him specifically.
In backlash, Ballinger, along with Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, state Sen. Brent Taylor, state Rep. John Gillespie, various national police and victims’ organizations, and almost 10,000 supporters have signed a change.org petition urging to— as its title states — “Stop Memphis DA From Protecting Criminals.”
The petition suggests that the law’s transparency provisions serve as a necessary check on local prosecutors— like Mulroy— to prevent them from releasing violent offenders without pursuing charges.
“The people of Memphis wanted transparency. Their DA chose to take it away,” the petition reads.
My dislike for DA Steve Mulroy is deep.
He’s was funded by devout atheist George Soros.
Soros supports the demonic Democratic Party which we all know that party supports nothing but destruction, turmoil, and ruin.
This is why he’s soft on crime.. because the work of the… pic.twitter.com/LpsPBZWzTh
— Dalisia Ballinger (@DBallinger901) August 12, 2026
Mulroy has faced allegations of easing charges against many individuals apprehended by the task force, with accusations pointing to the over $600,000 he has received from backers associated with leftist billionaire and progressive fundraiser George Soros, as noted by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. Ballinger commented, “Our public safety should not be up for debate.”
The petition expresses similar sentiments, stating, “Families in Memphis shouldn’t have to worry about which criminals have been released. They should not be left in the dark regarding how many task force cases were quietly dropped or resolved.”
Prior to his 2022 appointment, Mulroy ran a campaign advocating for alternatives to cash bail and standing against mass incarceration. After taking office, he dismissed nine attorneys and replaced them with seven new hires, according to The Stars News Network, while also claiming that this move was intended to “better represent the full diversity of our community.”
Steve Mulroy’s office did not provide any comments when contacted by the Daily Caller.
