DETROIT (WXYZ) — As of Aug. 31, 41 defendants have been charged in Detroit through Operation Legend.
The operation, launched by Attorney General William Barr, is described as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative to fight violent crime.
In Detroit, 17 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses, 21 have been charged with firearms-related offenses and three have been charged with other "violent crimes."
Operation Legend is an extension of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative announced in Detroit in December 2019 by Attorney General William Barr, that surged federal resources to fight back against violent crime, gangs, and gun violence in seven of America’s most affected cities, including Detroit.
The operation was first launched on July 8 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Many people in Detroit have spoken out against it.
“More police is in Detroit is not what we need," said Lloyd Simpson, an organizer with Detroit Will Breathe. "We need resources from the federal government not police brutality, not federal agents running around like vigilantes in our neighborhoods, that’s not what we need.”
