Operation Legend, Violent Crime Reduction, Missouri 2020

DOJ Expands Operation Legend to St. Louis

St. Louis, MO - In a move to combat the rising tide of violent crime, the Department of Justice has expanded Operation Legend to St. Louis. The initiative, which was first launched in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 8, is a sustained, systematic, and coordinated law enforcement effort to fight violent crime.

"The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the safety of our citizens," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "Today, we have extended Operation Legend to Memphis and St. Louis, two cities experiencing increases in violent crime that no resident of those cities should have to accept as part of everyday life."

U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen was joined by federal law enforcement officials to announce the expansion of Operation Legend to St. Louis. "Operation Legend has come to St. Louis," said Jensen. "Today we expand our ever-present federal commitment to the City of St. Louis by welcoming federal agents and money to our City for the purpose of fighting gun and gang violence."

Operation Legend is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early on the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation is now underway in Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee, as well as St. Louis and Memphis.

In the City of St. Louis, the Department of Justice will supplement state and local law enforcement agencies by sending more than 50 federal investigators from the Department of Homeland Security to the City. These investigators will complement the work already underway by existing joint federal, state, and local task forces focused on combatting violent gangs, gun crime, and drug trafficking organizations.

St. Louis is currently experiencing a significant increase in violent crime, with homicides up over 34% and non-fatal shootings up over 13%. The resources will be utilized to address the spike in violent crime.

A reward of up to $25,000 has been made available for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual or individuals responsible for the homicides of Kayden E. Johnson, two years of age at the time, and his mother Trina’ty A. Riley, 18, inside their home on April 30, 2019. Taiesha Campbell, mother of Trina’ty and grandmother of Kayden, appealed to the public for help in finding closure for her family.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance has made available $1 million to support Operation Legend’s violent crime reduction efforts and shot spotter responses in St. Louis."}

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/operation-legend-expanded-st-louis-confront-violent-crime