William barr held a News Conference in chicago today the federal response to protest across the country. It is what he had to say. Good morning and thank you all for being here. In the u. S. Attorney for the district of illinois. Id like to start this morning but taking it to introduce you to my Law Enforcement colleagu colleagues, some of whom you will hear from in a few moments. We are honored to have attorney general william barr with us today. We have acting director, regina and the special agent, kristin here as well. We also have from the fbi, deputy director, dave. We also have special agent in charge of the fbi here in chicago. The dea special agent in charge, robert u. S. Marshal sargent, david and chief inspector, diego. Also are two other u. S. Attorneys. My counterpart of the Northern District of illinois, tom. Tom sat in my office and worked together frequently on combating illegal trafficking of firearms across our common border between indiana and illinois. My colleague, justin, u. S. Attorney in Northern District of ohio, hes quarterbacking the department of justice is efforts. We are here today to discuss a critically important topic, Violent Crime in chicago. As attorney general barr has made clear the most basic responsibilities of government is to protect the pace safety of our citizens. For those of us in Law Enforcement, our top priority is to keep people safe. For much of this year, chicago and many other cities have experienced significant, unacceptable and in many instances, staggering spikes in homicides, shootings and other Violent Crime. In response, the attorney general launched operation legend. A systematic and coordinated Law Enforcement initiative in which federal Law Enforcement agencies work with state and local Law Enforcement departments to fight crime. In chicago, we are fortunate to have one of the finest Police Department in the country, chicago Police Department. They worked tirelessly to protect the citizens of chicago. The goal of operation legend in to reinforce and accelerate their efforts to reduce Violent Crime. Attorney general endeavored to do so by sending additional federal resources to chicago including a substantial number of agents from the atf, fbi and the u. S. Marshals service. The department of homeland securitys, investigation also committed additional agents. Seven weeks ago, when it began its chicago july 22, my office in federal and local partners have worked together to investigate and prosecute the individuals driving the violence in chicago. The trigger colors, drug traffickers, carjackers and critically, those individuals who illegally possess, use and affect firearms. Fortunately, a significant investment of resources under operation legend has had an Immediate Impact on reducing homicides in shootings in chicago attorney general think about that in a few moments. With the success of operation legend to date, much work remains to be done. The level of violence in chicago remains far too high and it could be demoralizing. Many children been senselessly killed and injured and while there are many things that need to be done to help chicagos Violent Crime problem, one thing all rational people can agree upon is that violent offenders need to be held accountable for their crimes. The rule of law and holding defenders accountable are essential components of every reasonable strategy to ensure Public Safety in chicago and its the backbone of operation legend. With that, its my honor to introduce attorney general william barr. Thank you, john. Good morning, everybody. Thank you for coming this morning. Im pleased to be in chicago to address the most significant threat facing the city. The explosion of Violent Crime, particularly homicides in chicago earlier this year, threatened not only safety but this cities way of life. The federal government responded with operation legend, one of the most significant other Law Enforcement operations in recent years. With dedicated hundreds of federal government, best investigators, analysts, fugitive tractors and other experts to work with our state and local colleagues and Law Enforcement here in chicago. The pilot models are off the streets and am pleased to report operation legend is working. Crime is down and stored in this Great American city. Operation legend is a vivid illustration of what dedicated Law Enforcement officers at all levels of government can do to keep people safe. Unfortunately, too many people into many cities and systems denigrating demonizing, Defunding Police this yesterday, police chief in rochester, new york decided to retire rather than standby with character of his police force was attacked. Seattles police chief made a similar decision last month after the city council decided to cut the budget other cities have recklessly slashed Police Funding at a time when there was a need for protection more than ever. This is misguided and shortsighted policy and i fear the cost will be devastating. There is no hard job in America Today and i think no more noble job in serving as a police officer. And d have of the department of justice, i want to think all of those who protected serve. The increase in violence has plagued chicago and other cities is what prompted the department to launch operation legend two months ago in kansas city, missouri. The operation is named for legend, the 4yearold kansas city boy shot and killed while asleep in his bed. The purpose of the operation is to make clear that his life mattered, his name should be remembered and other innocent victims like him, including the 8yearold girl killed in chicago on labor day should not suffer such senseless deaths. After starting in kansas legend chicago for two weeks nine major cities. As part of the operation, the federal government has dispatched over 1000 of our most skilled agents to help state and local Law Enforcement by Violent Crime. Over the past two months, federal agents involved in operation legend have made more than 2500 arrests, many were Violent Crimes on the side and Sexual Assaults. One of these arrests came august 13 kansas city police, with the support of the fbi and u. S. Marshals arrested the suspected murder murder of the 4yearold boy who inspired the operations name. In addition to those arrested, the arrests, 2500 arrests, federal prosecutors brought federal criminal charges against 600 defendants to operation legend. Bringing federal charges is significant not because defendants around arrested are often detained before trial, unlike state defenders were too often released. In addition, federal defendants will face serious sentences if convicted with a real possibility of longterm imprisonment at the bureau of prisons facilities out of state. Knowing that, many of the arrestees cooperate with the government and lead to even more violent offenders such as leaders of gangs or drug organizations. In short, the base premise of operation legend is by taking chronic violent criminals off the street, who will force crime rates down and the strategy is working. Here are a few examples. In kansas city, Violent Crimes dropped by 32 since we launched operation legend. With homicides down 18 and aggravated assault down a remarkable 47 . In st. Louis, homicides have dropped by 47 in four weeks since operation legend began more than 120 defendants have already been charged related. In detroit, homicides have dropped more than 25 and nonfatal shootings have dropped by more than 35 in the seven weeks of operation legend in that city. In memphis, homicides in august dropped by nearly 27 in u. S. Marshals arrested 47 persons wanted for homicide. In milwaukee, nonfatal shootings dropped by 25 in the five weeks since the operation began. Operation legend success is perhaps most dramatic here in chicago. When the operation is announced july 22, homicides in the city were up 51 over 2019. Over the previous we can, more than 60 people have been shot in chicago with over a dozen fatalities. Other Violent Crimes including duty and rioting was increasing also. The problem getting even worse the campaign to demonize and Defund Police gaining traction criminals increasingly believing they can operate with impunity. We committed to chicago in connection with the operation legend 400 federal agents, over 9 million grant money to the police under our program that allows the police to bring and 75 more positions. 3. 5 million Technical Assistance to support the expanded anticrime operations. Together, federal, state and local Law Enforcement in chicago working as part of operation legend in our joint task forces, reverse and the dangers spike in violence. Deputy u. S. Marshal state and local Task Force Officers made more than 500 arrests, if any for Violent Crimes like homicide, Sexual Assault and federal prosecutors have charged federal charges, 124 defendants including 90 with firearms related charges 30 with Drug Trafficking related charges. Any of the defendants are now detained pending trial rather than causing harm on the stree streets. The results of those actions be for themselves. Over the first five weeks of operation legend in chicago, martyrs dropped by 50 over the previous five weeks. August ultimately saw 45 decrease in murders compared to july and 35 decrease compared to june. Chicago in august so the lowest number of murders at any time since april. The bottom line is that operation legend has played a Critical Role in cutting chicagos rates roughly in half since before the operation. This progress has come at a price, tragically an officer in cleveland was participating in operation legend was killed in the line of duty on his first day with operation legend. An experienced detective who volunteered for the program and he is investigating gangs, particularly those involved in Drug Trafficking. His sacrifice is a reminder that it takes a special kind of courage to sign up as a police officer. All of us mourn his loss and we will carry on his legacy by continuing the good work in operation legend, not only in cleveland but here in chicago and beyond. I think state and local Law Enforcement partners here in the chicago area who helped make this operation successful and i look forward to continuing to Work Together in the days ahead. Thank you. Good morning. The commitment justice and upholding law protecting representing law is at the heart of our nation. This year, weve faced challenges. We must not succumb to fear. Tragically in chicago and many other cities, one of the challenges has been the intolerable like Violent Crimes, particularly firearm violence. Atf responded mission, protecting our communities from Violent Crime. I stand here today on behalf of the great men and women of atf along with my colleagues, department of justice led by attorney general bar justin, my friend and colleague from the fbi, deputy director, we thank you today to reiterate our commitment to honor the lives of the victims and families that died from firearm violence, bring to justice those who terrorize our neighborhoods. Like in chicago and the traffickers who fueled the violence by illegally supplying them with guns. There is no Higher Mission for atf and Law Enforcement partners and to protect the public for violent criminals. It is the purpose of operation legend. We are in chicago, and other cities working with communities to identify, investigate and prosecute those who inflict pain and destruction by engaging in firearm violence. We do this with a promise to uphold the rule of law with fairness that reinforces the dignity of all Community Membe members, most particularly victims and their families. Every day across the country, special agent in industry operations investigators pursue criminals who illegally used and possess guns, firearms trafficking organizations that illegally supply the guns to those sealed the guns. We are committed to removing the most violent firearm defenders from our communities and is most critical to dismantle the firearms trafficking networks, games and organizations that fuel the violence and before the crimes. One of the ways we ensure that we stay focused on the most violent criminals, the actual shooters is by using forensic science, particularly atf National Integrated ballistic image sorry, Ballistic Information Network we commonly refer to it. It allows us to use shell casings from recovered shooting scenes to specific firearms and other shooting incidences. We know from decades of experience that a relatively small number of offenders in our communities are responsible for multiple shootings. Generating atf and partners to identify, investigate and apprehend the shooter before they reoffend. One of the tools we use, weve deployed here in chicago, our mobile command center. Its configured to process ballistic evidence within an hour of shooting to support chicago police, Laboratory Facility that contains imaging units to obtain ballistic samples and is equipped to facilitate the processing of governance, dna from recovered shell casings and firearms. His deployment in chicago, the mobile command center has processed at least 288 shell casings generating over 50 leaves. These are investigative leads to self gun crimes. Weve also, one of the ways to eliminate to be effective is here in chicago by providing our National Correlation center access. We bring back to the chicago Police Department. Almost without exception within 48 hours, chicago Police Department can enter the correlation analysis that can link multiple shooting incidences pulling the recovered shell casing the specific firearms. A Correlation Center is 48 turnaround time, its essential to providing timely needs so investigators can identify and apprehend the shooters statistics. Our combined efforts are working. Patients legend investigators are working around the clock. Weve seen just more than 500 firearms in nine cities including 200 and chicago alone. Youre on the street making cases, watching our partners lacks, holding the line and Holding Accountable those who terrorize our communities we dont have to be a Law Enforcement to know this is dangerous work. Our entire workforce answered the call to protect and serve. This is atfs mission. We are committed to know to protect the u. S. And uphold our constitution. We serve you, we serve the communities we serve your neighborhoods they are here to ensure you are safe. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning for attorney general bar noted our nation has made great progress against Violent Crime but is still legs way too Many American communities. Those of us in Law Enforcement cannot rest while any american lives in fear in their own home for their own neighborhood. Violent crime threat we face today is very diverse, dangerous and much too well encompassing for any one agency for state, local or agency to tackle alone which is why the attorney general launched operation legend. While every agency here today is represented has a different role and responsibility fighting Violent Crime is a responsibility and a duty that well share. Its one team, one fight. Thats why operation legend was established for the resources of the federal government to assist in tackling the rise in Violent Crime and in many cities throughout the u. S. By combining resources of all these players, we believe we can have a Lasting Impact and make our community safer. Operation legend reflects that Team Approach and the men and women of the fbi are committed, just as our partners are committed in this challenge. Two Violent Crimes and gangs task forces, fbi and partners bring to the table what we do best, prior to and even more throughout this operation, we continue working closely with federal, state and local partners. To combine the expertise, knowledge and resources to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for the Violent Crimes occurring in our cities. The fbis focus is on targeting the overall Leadership Structure of our games incredible enterprises that drive the scourge of Violent Crimes in many of our communities. We bring to the table is the ability to target the most violent offenders in the short term while pursuing longterm strategies to dismantle enterprises and gangs. The bureau has already dedicated significant resources and leveraged our partnerships into these children are operation legend. We searched Additional Resources to further reduce monogram and operation legend. Here in chicago, we brought in 60 fbi special agents in addition to what was already assigned here. We also searched analytical resources and data exploitation personal to help in those investigations. Many of these folks left their own communities to work sidebyside with the fbi agent, chicago Police Department and other agencies here. They left their own families and homes because they want to help and be here to help chicago in any way. Weve done this to help investigate and take worst offenders off the street and hope that we can cripple these organizations out there. This includes agents, intelligence analysts, evidence experts and personnel from field offices across the country working together to reduce Violent Crime. To keep people safe and stop dangerous criminals Law Enforcement actions, digital forensics, mapi trends, tips, hotlines, digital billboards, social media, press releases and the like. Its a True Team Effort that cannot be accomplished through Law Enforcement partnerships alone and needs the hard work of the community but i will tell you, there are a lot of hardworking assistant u. S. Attorneys throughout the country who are sidebyside with these investigators trying to help curtail the violence in these communities. We are seeing real results already. Many have been discussed already so i wont go through those weve had hundreds of cases, arrests and seizures which have been made across the country already. Last week alone between august 31 and september 7, the fbi alone assistant cases. They recovered 46 weapons in one week. Busy getting Violent Crime is 24 7, 365 days a year job we do not take lightly. Im confident with our partners, working close together, we will continue to make progress against the Violent Crimes in progress for the American People both expect but more importantly, the progress they deserve. I want to talk to those responsible for the violence. If you are responsible for the violence you hear nothing else said, hear this. We will bring down the full weight of the federal government in our case, the fbi address your violent acts. If youre convicted in federal court, its very unlikely you will walk in the front door and out the back. If youre convicted, time in court is 85 minimum time served. To the citizens of chicago, the attorney general used the word will. If we accept it as status quo, its not going to make progress. If we have the will to pursue an endeavor throughout these challenges, i accomplished a lot. The will is being led by the attorney general and all agencies here but also needs the will of the community. We are asking the citizens of chicago to trust us, pick up the phone and provide the information we need to help solve crimes and violence plaguing your communities and our communities. We are trying to instill confidence in the system. Im asking you to trust us and with that, i talk about a tip line. If you have information about significant Violent Crime, i ask you to call 1800 call fbi. Or send an e tip online at tip tips. Fbi. Gov. Thank you. We would take some questions now. I wonder if you could, on ill read you a quote. [inaudible question] u. S. Marshals make arrests based on state involvement in turn the individuals over to the state for state charges. The number i gave you were those who were charged federally. You share the president s view of the violence in chicago is related to the mayor [inaudible] im not going to comment on the specifics here in illinois or chicago in terms of leadership but generally, ive observed the most important ingredients dealing with Violent Crime is a Strong Police force da oriented toward taking violent offenders off the street. The backing of Law Enforcement community by political leaders, both mayor and governor and when those are in place, i dont think we will see increases in crime weve seen recently. The increases in crime, there may be a number of factors involved but part of it is the unfolding of chronic offenders and the police in the wake of the attacks on the police so i think it is very important to support the Police Department and chief of police in the citys. [inaudible question] im not going to comment on that. I think the mayor and maybe i can ask the u. S. Attorney but my understanding is the mayor and president talked, the president discussed the desire to come in and help with operation legend she said she would accept the help. She approved is coming in and providing assistance. This is all about working in partnership with state and local the partnership is working well right now. [inaudible question] unfortunately in our country, and thats the case here in illinois, with the system of justice, state justice is calling back to a revolving door system we had earlier, 1992 is the peak of Violent Crime in the u. S. , it was over the preceding 30 years that showed up to 92. Part of the process was stopping the revolving door and having detention of people who still pose a threat to the community. A lot of states going back from that now they do think maybe john could give some specific examples but nowadays, a lot of the hoodlums on the street feel impunity to carry the guns on the streets, they dont feel they need to hide them anymore. They carry them as a matter of course because they can do it with impunity and they will do it under the state system and i think one of the reasons why federal support is so important is because we have stronger laws in this regard. Theres a lot said about Community Policing, we just need more Community Policing, but isnt discussed . People have to understand this essential prerequisite to Community Policing program. That is pretrial detention because people in the community, and any police chief is been involved in lawenforcement, i saw this 92, they will tell you people in the community will not come forward and engage with police if they feel someone be right back out on the street. They need to know when the police take them, they wont be there next time. New york for example, one of the best Community Policing programs in the country, its an amazing program. It is essential falling apart because of the changes in state law that people are on the street almost instantaneously and lawyers to access to the information regarded to the police and the basis for the arrest. That policing program is drying up, it is broken. Im all for Community Policing but people have to recognize have to keep violent offenders off the street. Otherwise you will not get the cooperation of the community. [inaudible] [inaudible] im confident the work we are doing is improving the situati situation. But its half of what it was preceding and its the lowest murder rate since april. We are starting from a very high level and it will take some time to get it down. I would agree with that. Very rarely operation legend helped stop what we are seeing, increases of homicides month after month. Using the data. May, june and july is getting out of control. It dropped in august. Dropped by half in one month so i do think theres a correlation and its a correlation we are seeing in all cities right now. We are obviously going to continue to watch what happens and adjust our activity based on the. You have a question. Im sorry. [inaudible question] [inaudible] what took my office along . So long to do what . I describe the genesis of legend was. Which was before covid, we started seeing violence uptick in a number of cities. We tried to launch a program called relentless pursuit. Then covid hit almost at the same time we were mobilizing the ages to go into the citys so that was effectively aborted. With the incident with george floyd and attacks on police and discretions of defunding, we saw sharp increases in cities including chicago. We essentially rebooted the idea of targeting various cities and increases in Violent Crime and tailored it to the phenomenon we were seeing in the wake of the Defund Police effort. Chicago didnt meet the criteria we were looking for in cities but given the visibility of chicago and high levels of homicide, decided that. Im glad we did because he was to be bearing fruit. I think a lot of public commentary, as you watch the program was cities didnt want federal help. Now youre telling we are welcome with open arms. Thats news to me. As i said, we agree to, seemed happy we were coming in. [inaudible question] this is a distinction the media doesnt frequently make but in my mind, is a distinction between addressing violent cri crime, which is what legend is about and addressing civil unrest in some of the violence weve seen in conjunction suppose it protests. I think hes talking about the latter which is you can deal with the occupational berries in the city and government buildings with dispatch. Of the use talking about eliminating Violent Crime that way. It depends on the circumstances. Some places where state resources are completely adequate, even state civilian Law Enforcement resources can be adequate, it depends on the circumstances, the size of the estate assets in the demonstration and we can also use civilian aspects. [inaudible question] i would say we already have a large number of Law Enforcement working in the chicago, a minimum of 100 new fbi atf agents who came in. There were several dozen repurposed, security agents as well and the same with the Marshall Service so its hundreds of new people who came in to work with the people here before him. 200 bodies of the 400 and the other 200 were repurposed from the other work they were doing and shifted to Violent Crime. [inaudible question] this has to do with the west act, and act that provides when state tort cases are brought against Government Employees in the executive branch and legislative branch and was committed allegedly in the course of federal employment. The case can be certified for shifting to the federal courts and u. S. And be substituted as the responsible party. His has become somewhat routine to the extent the certification process has been delegated to an attorney in the Civil Division of the justice department. The process involves the deploying agency, which is in the case of the president has in the white house sending him a memorandum requesting certification. The process was followed in this particular case. The case was still clear that the westfall act applies to claims against the president , Vice President and other federal employees. And members of congress. There is case law in d. C. , its been invoked by previous president s including most recently, voted three, Vice President cheney, president obama and now president trump. Case lawyers very clear and theres a d. C. Circuit case on the topic that says because we are a Representative Democracy, officials who are elected can answer this questions while in office. Even if those questions relate to their personal activity and bear upon their personal fitne fitness, is in fact in the course of federal employment and can be certified under the westlaw act. The case in that situation was congressman who was answering questions about why he separated from his wife. He was sued for defamation because of something he said in the answer to the court said elected officials are in our democracy, Representative Democracy there answering questions in office. Even if that personal affairs and definition claim. This was a normal application of the law, the law is clear, it is done frequently and it is largely because of the bazaar political environment in which we live and ill just leave it at that. [inaudible question] that is the statute. As they always are. [inaudible question] ill ask atf to see if she has more specific information but i know a number of the cases, i was looking over some of it and a number of the cases relate to purchasers who are gathering gongs for gangs so i know thats an area atf has been targeting. If you could, a little bit on that. We look at the patterns of the tracking factor, in chicago, we trace the weapon. We find the weapons are either purchased lawfully but also unlawful commerce by trafficking organizations. Weapons being seen here in chicago to come from other states. Some come from the milwaukee area every state is a different source but particularly for chicago, we see the trafficking patterns so we have a trafficking group, focused primarily on the in particular sources to cut it down we trace them for the purchases, where the firearm words purchased. We try to fill in the blanks. We do see purchasing line there guardian acts which are looking at going after those particularly in chicago. Thats what we are predominantly seen and its allowing us resources there, if we cut the pipeline of weapons, we have little less of the use of the weapons so thats what we are seeing primarily. [inaudible question] this technology which the atf deploys and brings in extra resources with these mobile units, are amazing because they can shell and link a gun used for other crimes. I think most Police Chiefs will tell you in their city, they could sit down and make a list of the people who are responsible for most of the shootings in their mind the suspects. Usually a relatively manageable group or modest group is responsible for a disproportionate number of shootings so it doesnt surprise me that you can find a gun and tie it to a lot of different shootings. Ive seen it done and it is really remarkable. The technology is a game chang changer. In the old days, to take the crime of violent offenders off the street, you have to cast a broader net. Now you can figure out exactly whos doing the shooting. That is been a game changer for us and putting all of that in a mobile unit right now here in chicago is really what has been helping chicago Police Department laboratories because we can do that in a 48 hour turnaround time. Those leads coming out were generated and investigators get that lead and that is a lead to potential homicide or assault. We take those leads and give it to our investigators at the Chicago Gun Strike force and we to work. We see the technologies great and we have the tools to do some of the things we do but it takes what i call the carpenter. Thats our special agents and lawenforcement Agency Working together. Its the shell casing allowing us to make those connections. We can take one more. You asked one earlier to. One more question. I will let both of you ask your questions. [inaudible question] your crediting the strap the federal agents and what i want to know is how many of those can credit two that is an absurd question. What i did not attribute it entirely but what i said is i believe that it was an important part of that drop and if you want to maintain the taking of fugitives off the street who are armed and already committed homicides, known gang members and persons who are correlated to guns that have committed murders in the past and the numbers and rates we are doing that, not only federal charges but on the state people we have delivered over to the state and if you dont think that has an impact on Violent Crime i think thats a much harder proposition to maintain. [inaudible question] they were certainly invited and could have attended but one of the odd things about our program in the city are the politics and im sure that was an element. You will have to ask the police chief. Thats correct. I am later spending time with the chief. I note that the city has put out information about the drop in crime and is crediting a number of factors absent among those factors is the federal contribution so just the way things roll here in chicago. Im not focused on the aspects of it but focused on the Law Enforcement working together in the professional lawenforcement approach and getting the job done and politicians can do what they want to do. To be clear there is no disconnect between federal Law Enforcement and the chicago Police Department. We Work Together all the time and supportive of all our efforts and we are thrilled to be helping them find Violent Crime. Things are going very well at the lawenforcement level. I can assure you that. Now we go live to from Senate Leaders following their weekly party caucus lunches. We are focused on getting people back to work in creating those jobs again and focused on helping parents with child care, focused on getting kids back to school, supporting our teachers and administrators and students and parents were trying to get kids back to School Safely and also focused on Health Care Crisis in front of us by putting additional funding into therapeutics and vaccines and all the things that in the end will help keep this defeat this virus but that is what the republican focus on. The democrats are saying they will vote against even proceeding to it and even getting on the bill so they will block it and