CLEVELAND - Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson will hold a press conference Friday, July 24, 2020, to address President Trump's decision to send federal law enforcement agents into the city. He will be joined by Public Safety Director Karrie Howard and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams.
The initiative, called Operation Legend, kicked off in Kansas City two weeks ago.The city of Cleveland joins Chicago, Detroit, Albuquerque and Milwaukee as the next cities to receive federal manpower and dollars to fight crime. The federal agents will reportedly descend on Cleveland to restore order, not from rioters like in Portland and other cities, but from what U.S. Attorney General William Barr describes as "classic crime."
The program will also provide federal money to help local departments hire more officers. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Cleveland says the move is "unconstitutional and disregards the rights of cities to govern and protect their residents."
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday said he understood the Cleveland operation to be a continuation of long-standing relationships between local law enforcement and federal authorities.
Typically these federal agencies have worked with local authorities to address homicides, drug dealing and weapons violations.