Senator Blackburn: “Over the last month, the stats are just amazing because you've had nearly 1,700 arrests, more than 350 illegal guns, you have found over 80 missing children, and you've got 119 of these gang leaders that have been apprehended. So, this is absolutely fantastic… When I talk to people in Memphis, they are absolutely thrilled that they have this here.”

Director Serralta: “I believe today we hit the 84 missing children mark… As far as the criminal arrests, we are crossing the 1,700 mark… The FBI, they're a great partner. Their prior work [in Memphis] in the summer has been the driving force for the intelligence that we use to hit the ground running… In contrast to the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, you know, today, we hit 5,000 arrests. We're over 5,000 arrests and 500 guns. Well, Memphis, Tennessee, is going to surpass those numbers in the same amount of time because, as you mentioned, it is a target rich for violent crimes because it's been too long since we since we focused on that beautiful city.”

Senator Blackburn: “I know the U.S. Marshals under your direction, kind of are coordinating a lot of this work from the different agencies. How did you go about doing that?”

Director Serralta: “The Marshal Service has been tapped to organize this task force. You know, it takes everyone to pitch in. Every agency has strengths… ATF brings an enormous amount of intelligence and knowledge about firearms and ammunition… 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. 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.”

Senator Blackburn: “I was on the floor today talking about Memphis, and I actually quoted someone who had been to the Grizzlies opening game down at the FedEx Forum, and their comment that they gave, which I thought was great, was that everybody was out and about. They were having a great time. They were enjoying being out, and they said, ‘This feels like freedom.’ I think that's so indicative of where people are right now. They're excited that their city is safe, and they're not afraid of going to dinner and it getting dark before they could get back home.” 

Director Serralta: “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… 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… I’m very proud of what we’ve done in Memphis, and I look forward to continuing our service there.”