Earlier today, Attorney General Bill Barr announced new arrests stemming from Operation Legend. Operation Legend represents the Trump Administration's continued commitment to promoting law and order in the face of rising violent crime rates in American cities. In the word's of Attorney General Barr, the mission of the Operation is "to save lives, solve crimes, and take violent offenders off our streets before they can claim more victims."
In a press release summarizing the Operation's successes, the Department of Justice explained:
Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 1,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 217 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. These numbers exclude Indianapolis, whose operation was just announced last Friday. In addition, nearly 400 firearms have been seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Attorney General launched the operation on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City.
Launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, the operation was expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020, to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020, to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020, and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020.
The arrests come as Democrats are being criticized for all but ignoring the increased crime rates and unrest in cities around the country while their convention is being held this week. While Democratic lawmakers have criticized Operation Legend, it has the support of the victims of the senseless injustices that inspired the Operation.
Today AG Barr announces over 200 people have been charged with a federal crime, & more than 1,000 arrests have been made in major cities since @TheJusticeDept launched #OperationLeGend in July!
— PARIS (@PARISDENNARD) August 19, 2020
The @realDonaldTrump Administration is about ACTION and results for the people! pic.twitter.com/bNBEC5VLjc
The Trump Administration continues to provide a stark contrast to the policies promoted by Democrats at the state and local levels. Rioting has been taking place in Seattle and Portland for months now with no end in sight - giving a preview to what a Democratic presidency could look like.
Overnight on 18–19 Aug, hundreds of antifa swarmed the Multnomah Building in Portland. They smashed out the windows & set the ground floor on fire using an accelerant. They blocked the roads by setting large dumpsters on fire. Police declared a riot. https://t.co/zZkys6X7y7 pic.twitter.com/oLKY7GR6g7
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 19, 2020
Officers sustained burns last night at the #antifa riot in Seattle. Like Portland, the militants there buy and use large commercial-grade firework explosives as weapons. #SeattleRiots pic.twitter.com/6skruuFhY0
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 17, 2020
We commend Attorney General Bill Barr for keeping his word to the American people by promoting law and order in cities that are at risk of being overrun by violent crime.