[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 187 (Friday, September 25, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60343-60344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21381]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 85 , No. 187 / Friday, September 25, 2020 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60343]]


                Proclamation 10080 of September 18, 2020

                
National Gang Violence Prevention Week, 2020

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During National Gang Violence Prevention Week, we 
                reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring gang 
                members are removed from our streets and prosecuted for 
                their crimes, so all Americans can live and thrive in a 
                safe and peaceful environment. Our Nation's law 
                enforcement officials are our first line of defense 
                against gang violence, and we continue to express our 
                eternal gratitude for their selfless devotion to 
                upholding the rule of law and keeping us safe.

                Street gangs pose grave threats to the safety of 
                communities and the well-being of children, teenagers, 
                and families. Gangs aim to perpetuate the trafficking 
                and smuggling of humans, weapons, and drugs. They 
                destroy public and private property, corrupt America's 
                youth, and ruin businesses. To break the pernicious 
                cycle of gang violence and crime, my Administration has 
                enacted comprehensive solutions focused on prevention, 
                intervention, and suppression. In July, we launched 
                Operation LeGend--a sustained and coordinated law 
                enforcement surge in communities across the Nation. 
                Operation LeGend is named in honor of 4-year-old LeGend 
                Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he peacefully 
                slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City, 
                Missouri. This unfathomable tragedy is one of many 
                examples of the scourge gangs pose to our youth and to 
                our communities. The eponymous operation spans every 
                Federal law enforcement agency and is being executed in 
                conjunction with State and local officials. Our 
                national effort to fight violent crime will protect our 
                Nation's children and bring violent criminals to 
                justice.

                Every child in America should enjoy a youth without any 
                risk of falling victim to violence, drugs, or other 
                harmful criminal acts that can destroy their future. 
                And every parent should see their children grow into 
                the people that God intended for them to become. It is 
                the responsibility of all public leaders to do 
                everything in our power to make this possible. As 
                President, my highest obligation is to protect our 
                Nation's citizens, which is why we are relentlessly 
                working to restore law and order throughout our 
                country.

                In the past year, the Department of Justice has 
                prosecuted thousands of violent gang members, including 
                hundreds of leaders, members, and associates of 
                transnational criminal organizations such as MS-13 and 
                the 18th Street Gang. The spread of these vicious 
                groups, and the human suffering they bring, is 
                accomplished through a sophisticated and well-organized 
                campaign of violence meant to intimidate neighborhoods 
                and boost illegal money-making activities. In response, 
                my Administration has taken strong actions to secure 
                our borders, shut down smuggling networks, and expedite 
                the removal of illegal immigrants associated with these 
                transnational criminal networks. Additionally, the 
                Attorney General's Joint Task Force Vulcan has taken 
                steps to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately destroy MS-
                13, including strategically targeting the highest 
                ranking leaders and bringing terrorism charges against 
                the organization. Through these initiatives, and 
                working with our foreign law enforcement partners in 
                Operation Regional Shield, we have reduced the ability 
                of transnational criminal organizations to commit

[[Page 60344]]

                murders and other violent crimes, as well as hindered 
                their funding by stopping crimes such as robbery, 
                extortion, drug and gun smuggling, and despicable acts 
                of human trafficking.

                Under my Administration, the Department of Justice has 
                revitalized the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, 
                which provides crucial support to local law enforcement 
                agencies across the country to combat gang violence and 
                prevent violent crime. This community-based initiative 
                targets the most violent criminals in the most 
                dangerous areas of our country and has successfully 
                delivered justice by getting them off the streets and 
                behind bars.

                None of these significant strides would be possible 
                without the dedicated law enforcement officials of our 
                great Nation. In light of the growing, radical movement 
                attacking the police, I take this opportunity to once 
                again reemphasize my unending support for our Nation's 
                heroes in blue. We are forever grateful for the 
                incredible men and women of law enforcement who risk 
                their lives every single day to combat crime and 
                mayhem.

                As a Nation, we must band together in the fight against 
                criminal gangs that threaten our democracy and 
                terrorize our children, families, and communities. 
                National Gang Violence Prevention Week is a time to 
                reflect on the honorable service of our heroes in law 
                enforcement and dedicate ourselves to doing all that we 
                can to prevent criminal gangs from infiltrating our 
                communities with violence and crime. We will not rest 
                until we have removed the scourge of gangs and 
                transnational criminal organizations from our country.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim the week of September 
                20 through September 26, 2020, as ``National Gang 
                Violence Prevention Week.'' I call upon the people of 
                the United States to observe this week with appropriate 
                programs, ceremonies, and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2020-21381
Filed 9-24-20; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P