“It was a pleasure to meet with Mayor Paul Young this afternoon to discuss ways we can continue working together to grow Memphis’s economy and fight violent crime that has blighted the city for too long,” said Senator Blackburn. “FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi are working closely with me to Make Memphis Safe Again, and Mayor Young will be a critical part of our federal efforts to address the unacceptable violence in this city that we all love.”

Click here to download this photo of Senator Blackburn and Mayor Young.

BACKGROUND

• Senator Blackburn introduced the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act to crack down on carjacking by removing barriers to bringing federal prosecutions.

• Last year, Tennessee was ranked among the top ten states for motor vehicle thefts, and Tennessee saw a nearly 200% increase in auto theft crime by juveniles in 2023.

• The current federal carjacking statute requires prosecutors to prove defendants had an “intent to cause death or bodily harm,” which has made it harder to bring federal carjacking prosecutions and accounts for the decrease in federal carjacking prosecutions in certain parts of the country.

• The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act would fix this drafting error by requiring prosecutors only have to prove the knowing taking of a motor vehicle.

• In cases in which death results following a carjacking, the bill would maintain the higher “intent to cause death or bodily harm” requirement.

• Senator Blackburn introduced the AFTER SCHOOL Act to establish a grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Justice for localities to receive funds to establish, maintain, and strengthen after school programs proven to reduce juvenile crime and recidivism.

• Much of the crime committed in Memphis is driven by juvenile offenders, who are committing more and more aggravated assaults, robberies, and carjackings against innocent city residents;

• The gap of time after school and before their parents get home is prime time for violent behavior among youth, and the four hours following the end of the school day (around 2:00 to 6:00 PM) is typically the peak of violent crime.

• Senator Blackburn also introduced the Restoring Law and Order Act to increase funding for law enforcement and help keep violent criminals behind bars by establishing a “Make America Safe Again” federal grant program to:

• Hire more police officers and detectives, so that states can better target violent crime;

• Provide funding for law enforcement agencies to target drug-related crimes such as fentanyl;

• Detain and deport illegal aliens who have committed crimes in the United States;

• Use public safety tools such as bail and pretrial detention to prevent dangerous offenders from returning to communities; and

• Give state and local governments the funds to eliminate investigatory backlogs and more-quickly process criminal evidence.