MEMPHIS, Tenn. — President Donald Trump is expected to visit Memphis on Monday, putting a national spotlight on the Memphis Safe Task Force as leaders and residents debate its impact on crime in the city.

According to the White House, since the task force began operating in Memphis, there have been more than 7,200 arrests and nearly 1,200 firearms seized.

The visit is expected to highlight what federal officials describe as a coordinated effort between federal, state and local agencies to reduce crime and remove offenders from the streets. That effort comes as new data shows a significant drop in crime across the city.

According to the City of Memphis Safer Communities Dashboard, overall crime is down more than 43% compared to this time last year. Downtown Memphis has seen an even steeper decline, with crime down more than 46%. Weekly data trends also show continued decreases.

Supporters of the task force say those numbers demonstrate real progress.

“We are overjoyed that the president of the United States is choosing to come to Memphis,” said Luke Cymbal, media coordinator for the Republican Party of Shelby County. “We know that he is making an unprecedented level of investments here to clean up crime, along with state and local officials. It has been hugely successful. Crime is down in historic ways, and so I’m glad that he is coming here to highlight those achievements.”

Cymbal also pointed to enforcement efforts as a key factor.

“The number of arrests, the number of firearms, illegal firearms off of the streets. Major crime is down overall 50%. Some of these violent crimes are down 70, 75%. It’s remarkable. We need to celebrate that,” Cymbal said.

But not everyone agrees that the numbers tell the full story.

Some community leaders and elected officials say the approach raises concerns about long-term sustainability and the strain on local systems.

“I want to know, what is the plan to address overcrowding in the jails, to be able to address the burden on the courts and really just to just talk about what is the long term plan?” Shelby County Commissioner Britney Thornton.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis) also criticized the strategy, raising concerns about broader issues tied to crime. In a statement to FOX13, he said, President Trump “has done nothing to meaningfully address crime, reduce the gun violence epidemic or tackle the poverty that so many people in our community experience.”

Others say the conversation should include both the reported progress and the concerns being raised by some communities.

“So I want the president to actually speak to both sides,” Thornton said. “I want him to celebrate what can be viewed as a success and being able to stabilize what we were experiencing, but also acknowledge how you know what we are experiencing through the immigrant community.”

With President Trump’s visit expected Monday, both supporters and critics say the focus will not only be on crime reduction but also on how those results are being achieved and what comes next for Memphis.