A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that Operation Legend was successful in reducing and combating violent crime in the largest cities of the United States and that a future presidential administration committed to enforcing and maintaining law and order should consider implementing a similar policy.

Bill: 118-sconres-38
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
Introduced: 2024-07-24
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2024-07-24
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S5347)

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-07-24
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that a future presidential administration should (1) consider instituting a policy similar to Operation Legend that deploys federal law enforcement agents to systematically target crime in cities, and (2) provide significant grant funding to state and local governments for law enforcement.</p>

tv_txt: III 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. CON. RES. 38 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 24, 2024 Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Braun , Mrs. Capito , Mr. Cornyn , Mr. Cramer , Mr. Cruz , Mr. Schmitt , Mr. Scott of South Carolina , and Mr. Young ) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of Congress that Operation Legend was successful in reducing and combating violent crime in the largest cities of the United States and that a future presidential administration committed to enforcing and maintaining law and order should consider implementing a similar policy.

Whereas, in the wake of a surge in violent crime throughout many of the largest cities in the United States, Attorney General William Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend on July 8, 2020; Whereas this groundbreaking operation was named in honor of LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old boy from Kansas City, Missouri, who was tragically shot and killed while he was sleeping; Whereas, throughout the summer of 2020, violent crime—including homicides, aggravated assaults, and firearm offenses—rose dramatically in large cities like Chicago, New York City, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Memphis; Whereas the Trump administration took decisive steps to curb the rampant violence occurring in these cities by instituting Operation Legend; Whereas Operation Legend was a measured, coordinated, and effective initiative that deployed Federal law enforcement agents to work in conjunction with State and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime; Whereas, over the course of 6 months, Operation Legend provided Federal law enforcement agents to 10 of the largest cities in the United States: Albuquerque, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Milwaukee, and St. Louis; Whereas Operation Legend was tremendously successful in targeting the surge in violent crime, resulting in over 6,000 arrests—including an estimated 467 arrests for homicide—in addition to the seizures of over 2,600 illegal firearms and over 17 kilograms of fentanyl; Whereas, 4 years after the launch of Operation Legend, several major cities in the United States continue to struggle with waves of violent crime; Whereas Kansas City recorded its deadliest year on record in 2023 with 185 homicides and, between 2022 and 2023, violent crime increased by 11.5 percent in Chicago, the homicide rate in Memphis rose by 50 percent, and Washington, DC saw a significant increase in homicides, carjackings, and armed robberies; Whereas several of the largest cities in the United States continue to bear the brunt of violent crime surges, with their citizens feeling increasingly unsafe; Whereas, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland, there is no acceptable level of violent crime. Too many communities are still struggling, too many people are still scared ; Whereas, according to a recent Gallup poll, 63 percent of people in the United States, the highest rate in decades, view crime as a serious problem; and Whereas, given the continuing scourge of violent crime in several cities in the United States, an initiative similar to Operation Legend is essential to reducing violent crime in those areas: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of Congress that a future presidential administration committed to enforcing or maintaining law and order should— (1) consider instituting a policy similar to Operation Legend that deploys Federal law enforcement agents to systematically target crime in cities still plagued with rises in homicides and other violent offenses; and (2) provide significant grant funding to State and local governments that shall be used to— (A) hire and train more law enforcement officers, including by awarding bonuses to law enforcement officers; (B) prevent violent crime by prioritizing stringent sentences for repeat offenders; and (C) utilize public safety tools such as bail and pretrial detention to prevent dangerous offenders from returning to communities.