President Trump announced plans to send more federal agents into cities around the country to help corral the violence that has occurred in recent weeks.
The president’s “Operation Legend” program, unveiled on Wednesday, will assist local law enforcement in cities such as Chicago and Kansas City to tackle violence and civil unrest.
“This bloodshed must end. This bloodshed will end,” Trump said, adding that he felt the federal government had “no choice but to get involved” given the rising death tolls in some cities.
The program will involve federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and other agencies to partner with local agencies. It is named for LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old boy who was shot and killed while asleep last month in Kansas City, Missouri.
“President Trump has made clear: The federal government stands ready and willing to assist any of our state and local law enforcement partners across the nation responding to violent crime,” said Attorney General William Barr. “Operation Legend will combine federal and local resources to combat the disturbing uptick in violence by surging federal agents and other federal assets into cities like Kansas City, a city currently experiencing its worst homicide rate in its history.”
Kansas City is one of several cities experiencing a growing homicide rate, with 100 homicides already this year, a 40% increase from last year, according to the Justice Department’s website.
