Issued on: 22/07/2020 – 22:27
President Donald Trump announced a plan on Wednesday to send federal agents to more U.S. cities to crack down on violent crime as he emphasizes a"law and order" mantra going into the Nov. 3 presidential election.
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Trump, joined by Attorney General William Barr, unveiled an expansion of the "Operation Legend" program to include cities such as Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a further effort by federal officials to tackle violence.
"Today I'm announcing a surge of federal law enforcement into American communities plagued by violent crime," said Trump.
Trump said "we have no choice but to get involved" with a rising death toll in some major cities.
"This bloodshed must end, this bloodshed will end," he said. The program involves deploying federal law enforcement agents to assist local police in combating what the Justice Department has described as a "surge" of violent crime.
A Justice Department official said the initiative is not related to the use of federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security to quell unrest in Portland, Oregon.
The Republican president has sharply criticized Democratic leaders for presiding over cities and states that are experiencing crime waves, using the issue as part of a "law and order" push he hopes will resonate with his political base.
Trump is trailing Democrat Joe Biden in national opinion polls. It is not unusual for federal law enforcement to work alongside local partners. The Justice Department official said "Operation Legend" would provide additional resources to cities suffering from "traditional" violent crime.
Trump has emphasized a robust policing and military approach to the protests across the United States about racial inequality after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis police custody.Read More – Source
