The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday the Trump administration will be sending additional federal agents to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee in efforts to expand a program designed to fight violent crime.
The program, Operation Legend, was launched on July 8 in Kansas City, Missouri, and later expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque.
Operation Legend was named after LeGend Taliferro, a four-year-old who was shot and killed in Kansas City.
Attorney General William Barr released a statement on Wednesday claiming Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee have seen increases in violent crime, especially homicides.
He argued cities experience less violent crime with the help of federal agents.
“For decades, the Department of Justice has achieved significant success when utilizing our anti-violent crime task forces and federal law enforcement agents to enforce federal law and assist American cities that are experiencing upticks in violent crime,” Barr said.
He added, “The Department of Justice’s assets will supplement local law enforcement efforts, as we work together to take the shooters and chronic violent criminals off of our streets.”
The Department of Justice will send more than 25 federal investigators from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to Cleveland.
The investigators will assist federal, state, and local task forces with combating violent gangs, gun crime, and drug trafficking.
The Cleveland Police Department will also receive almost $10 million in funding for the hiring of officers.
Roughly 42 agents from the FBI, DEA, and ATF will be deployed to Detroit.
Additional ATF agents will be assigned to focus their efforts on violent gun crimes. The Detroit Police Department will have access to $2.4 million in funding to hire 15 officers.
More than 25 federal investigators from the same agencies and U.S. Marshals Service will be deployed to Milwaukee. The Police Departments of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and Cudahy will be able to hire 29 officers with the help of $10.2 million in funding.
