William Barr has a new plan, and the name itself shows that he’s not even trying to hide his agenda.
As attorney general under President Trump, he’s long talked about crime in very loaded terms. His latest project is called “Operation Relentless Pursuit” and it’s a crackdown we need to be aware of.
Operation Relentless Pursuit will take on seven cities where the rate for violent crime is higher than the national average.
Barr said, “Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans.”
This means a boost in federal officers and task forces in these cities: Detroit, Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee. They’ll also get $71 million for more cops, new equipment, and more.
Heavy-handed tough-on-crime policies are a favorite of Barr’s. He’s long enjoyed them since he worked under Bush and signed off on a book by the Department of Justice called “The Case for More Incarceration.”
Trump wanted him for a reason, and this is it: so they could crack down on us.
This is a person who has long shown he’s dedicated to mass incarceration. Yet, evidence shows that the type of policing Barr favors is not reducing crime. More police and more prisons doesn’t mean crime decreases. We need more resources for our communities, not crackdowns!