Citing an increase in gun violence on the city’s roadways, Memphis police are teaming up with Tennessee troopers for a major enforcement operation.
Law enforcement officials announced “Operation Grizzly Bear 2019” on Wednesday, July 17. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland described the operation as an “all hands on deck” effort.
Operation Grizzly Bear will be conducted by the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, according to WMC Action News 5. Thirty extra state troopers have been brought in specifically for Operation Grizzly Bear.
The six week enforcement effort will involve increased patrols on Memphis roadways with the intent on cutting down on highway shootings. Police say that they’ll be focusing particularly on I-240 and Highway 385 and will be using both marked and unmarked vehicles.
Officers say that they will also be on the lookout for aggressive driving and other crime. After the six week period, the involved agencies will evaluate the results to determine how to proceed.
Memphis police say that there have already been 32 roadway shootings in the city in 2019 and that most of them were caused by road rage.
