Trump and the issues of Criminal Justice

February 09, 2017

4:24 PM 2/9/2017

In executive actions, President Trump vows crackdown on violent crime. Is America as unsafe as he thinks?
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 3:28 PM

President Trump watches as Jeff Sessions, alongside his wife, Mary, is sworn in as attorney general by Vice President Pence. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump signed three executive actions Thursday designed to crack down on violence in America, directing the Department of Justice to form a task force and take other steps to target criminal gangs and reduce violent crime and crime against police.

Trump has long held a pessimistic view of how safe people are in the U.S., declaring in his inaugural address that the “American carnage” would stop with his presidency. As his new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was sworn in Thursday, Trump said he was signing the executive actions to “restore safety in America.”

“First, I’m directing Department of Justice & Homeland Security to undertake all necessary and lawful action to break the back of the criminal cartels that have spread across our nation and are destroying the blood of our youth and other people, many other people,” Trump said. “Secondly, I’m directing Department of Justice to form a task force on reducing violent crime in America. And thirdly, I’m directing the Department of Justice to implement a plan to stop crime and crimes of violence against law enforcement officers.”

But Trump has, in the past, misstated crime statistics or not presented them in the proper context, presenting a somewhat bleaker view than perhaps is warranted. He has accurately cited a statistic from the Brennan Center for Justice, which found that, in the largest 30 cities, homicides increased by 14 percent from 2015 to 2016. But in that data set, one outlier city — Chicago — was responsible for 43.7 percent of the total increase in homicide rates in 2016.

[Fact-checking Trump’s rhetoric on crime and the ‘American carnage’]

The latest FBI data show a more than 10 percent increase in murder and non-negligent manslaughter from 2014 to 2015. But the murder rate is down even from as recently as 2009, and it has been declining — with a few upward blips — since the height of the crack epidemic in the early 1990s.

[Violent crime and murders both went up in 2015, FBI says]

Nonetheless, Sessions said in his own remarks that America had “a crime problem,” and it was no mere anomaly.

“I wish the rise that we are seeing in crime in America today were some sort of aberration or a blip,” he said. “My best judgment, having been involved in criminal law enforcement for many years, is that this is a dangerous, permanent trend that places the health and safety of the American people at risk. We will deploy the talents and abilities of the Department of Justice in the most effective way possible to confront this rise in crime and to protect the people of our country.”

Sessions mentioned violent crime in his remarks even before terrorism, indicating just how high a priority it might become in his Justice Department.

Trump issued executive orders on three topics — gangs, violent crime in general, and violence against police particularly. They contained mostly broad directives, which Sessions presumably will be left to implement.

On crime in general, Trump ordered the creation of a task force to study existing laws and crime data collection and “develop strategies to reduce crime.” The task force is to submit a report to him within a year. On gangs, he ordered beefed up enforcement and the issuance of once quarterly public reports “detailing convictions in the United States relating to transnational criminal organizations and their subsidiaries” He asked for a broader progress report for himself in 120 days.

[Trump says he may send ‘the feds’ to Chicago. Federal agents are already there.]

On violence against police, Trump ordered prosecutors to develop a strategy to use existing laws to prosecute those who harm law enforcement officers and to “review existing Federal laws to determine whether those laws are adequate to address the protection” of police. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, there were 135 officers killed in 2016, up from 123 the year before, and 64 were shot and killed, up from 41 the year before.

“It’s a shame what’s been happening to our great, truly great, law enforcement officers,” Trump said. “That’s going to stop, as of today.”

Trump has cast himself as a pro-law enforcement candidate since the campaign trail. Some advocates worry that he is not adequately concerned, though, with police abuses and those killed by police.

Some cities in recent years, including Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore and Charlotte, have seen protests and violence erupt after incidents of black men being killed at the hands of law enforcement officers. The Justice Department under President Barack Obama sent mediators to those cities to try to keep the peace. The Obama administration also aggressively investigated the police with systemic reviews of entire departments to address the root cause of conflict between law enforcement and residents.

Neither Trump nor his attorney general mentioned such investigations at the swearing-in ceremony. On the White House website, the Trump administration has hinted at a crackdown on protests. “Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter,” the site says.

Sessions, though, did note another issue of importance to him: immigration. That is significant, as the Justice Department is in the midst of a heated court battle to defend Trump’s now-frozen executive order barring refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

“We need a lawful system of immigration — one that serves the interests of the people of the United States,” Sessions said. “That’s not wrong, that’s not immoral, that’s not indecent. We admit a million people a year plus, lawfully, and we need to end this lawlessness that threatens the public safety, pulls down wages of working Americans.”

This post was updated after the full text of the executive orders was released.

Read the whole story

· · · · · ·

Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers | whitehouse.gov
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 3:13 PM

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 09, 2017

Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST FEDERAL, STATE, TRIBAL,
AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to:

(a) enforce all Federal laws in order to enhance the protection and safety of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers, and thereby all Americans;

(b) develop strategies, in a process led by the Department of Justice (Department) and within the boundaries of the Constitution and existing Federal laws, to further enhance the protection and safety of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers; and

(c) pursue appropriate legislation, consistent with the Constitution's regime of limited and enumerated Federal powers, that will define new Federal crimes, and increase penalties for existing Federal crimes, in order to prevent violence against Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers.

Sec. 2. Implementation. In furtherance of the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, the Attorney General shall:

(a) develop a strategy for the Department's use of existing Federal laws to prosecute individuals who commit or attempt to commit crimes of violence against Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers;

(b) coordinate with State, tribal, and local governments, and with law enforcement agencies at all levels, including other Federal agencies, in prosecuting crimes of violence against Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers in order to advance adequate multi-jurisdiction prosecution efforts;

(c) review existing Federal laws to determine whether those laws are adequate to address the protection and safety of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers;

(d) following that review, and in coordination with other Federal agencies, as appropriate, make recommendations to the President for legislation to address the protection and safety of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers, including, if warranted, legislation defining new crimes of violence and establishing new mandatory minimum sentences for existing crimes of violence against Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers, as well as for related crimes;

(e) coordinate with other Federal agencies to develop an executive branch strategy to prevent violence against Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers;

(f) thoroughly evaluate all grant funding programs currently administered by the Department to determine the extent to which its grant funding supports and protects Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers; and

(g) recommend to the President any changes to grant funding, based on the evaluation required by subsection (f) of this section, including recommendations for legislation, as appropriate, to adequately support and protect Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement officers.

Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 9, 2017

Read the whole story

· · · ·

Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety | whitehouse.gov
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 3:12 PM

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 09, 2017

Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

TASK FORCE ON CRIME REDUCTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to reduce crime and restore public safety to communities across the Nation, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to reduce crime in America. Many communities across the Nation are suffering from high rates of violent crime. A focus on law and order and the safety and security of the American people requires a commitment to enforcing the law and developing policies that comprehensively address illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime. The Department of Justice shall take the lead on Federal actions to support law enforcement efforts nationwide and to collaborate with State, tribal, and local jurisdictions to restore public safety to all of our communities.

Sec. 2. Task Force. (a) In furtherance of the policy described in section 1 of this order, I hereby direct the Attorney General to establish, and to appoint or designate an individual or individuals to chair, a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety (Task Force). The Attorney General shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide administrative support and funding for the Task Force.

(b) The Attorney General shall determine the characteristics of the Task Force, which shall be composed of individuals appointed or designated by him.

(i) exchange information and ideas among its members that will be useful in developing strategies to reduce crime, including, in particular, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime;

(ii) based on that exchange of information and ideas, develop strategies to reduce crime;

(iii) identify deficiencies in existing laws that have made them less effective in reducing crime and propose new legislation that could be enacted to improve public safety and reduce crime;

(iv) evaluate the availability and adequacy of crime-related data and identify measures that could improve data collection in a manner that will aid in the understanding of crime trends and in the reduction of crime; and

(v) conduct any other studies and develop any other recommendations as directed by the Attorney General.

(d) The Task Force shall meet as required by the Attorney General and shall be dissolved once it has accomplished the objectives set forth in subsection (c) of this section, as determined by the Attorney General.

(e) The Task Force shall submit at least one report to the President within 1 year from the date of this order, and a subsequent report at least once per year thereafter while the Task Force remains in existence. The structure of the report is left to the discretion of the Attorney General. In its first report to the President and in any subsequent reports, the Task Force shall summarize its findings and recommendations under subsections (c)(ii) through (c)(v) of this section.

Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 9, 2017

Read the whole story

· · ·

Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking | whitehouse.gov
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 2:53 PM

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 09, 2017

Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

ENFORCING FEDERAL LAW WITH RESPECT TO TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PREVENTING INTERNATIONAL TRAFFICKING

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Purpose. Transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including transnational drug cartels, have spread throughout the Nation, threatening the safety of the United States and its citizens. These organizations derive revenue through widespread illegal conduct, including acts of violence and abuse that exhibit a wanton disregard for human life. They, for example, have been known to commit brutal murders, rapes, and other barbaric acts.

These groups are drivers of crime, corruption, violence, and misery. In particular, the trafficking by cartels of controlled substances has triggered a resurgence in deadly drug abuse and a corresponding rise in violent crime related to drugs. Likewise, the trafficking and smuggling of human beings by transnational criminal groups risks creating a humanitarian crisis. These crimes, along with many others, are enriching and empowering these organizations to the detriment of the American people.

A comprehensive and decisive approach is required to dismantle these organized crime syndicates and restore safety for the American people.

Sec. 2. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to:

(a) strengthen enforcement of Federal law in order to thwart transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and that are related to, for example:

(i) the illegal smuggling and trafficking of humans, drugs or other substances, wildlife, and weapons;

(ii) corruption, cybercrime, fraud, financial crimes, and intellectual-property theft; or

(iii) the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities.

(b) ensure that Federal law enforcement agencies give a high priority and devote sufficient resources to efforts to identify, interdict, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including through the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of members of such organizations, the extradition of members of such organizations to face justice in the United States and, where appropriate and to the extent permitted by law, the swift removal from the United States of foreign nationals who are members of such organizations;

(c) maximize the extent to which all Federal agencies share information and coordinate with Federal law enforcement agencies, as permitted by law, in order to identify, interdict, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations;

(d) enhance cooperation with foreign counterparts against transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including, where appropriate and permitted by law, through sharing of intelligence and law enforcement information and through increased security sector assistance to foreign partners by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(e) develop strategies, under the guidance of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, to maximize coordination among agencies -- such as through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Special Operations Division, the OCDETF Fusion Center, and the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center -- to counter the crimes described in subsection (a) of this section, consistent with applicable Federal law; and

(f) pursue and support additional efforts to prevent the operational success of transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations within and beyond the United States, to include prosecution of ancillary criminal offenses, such as immigration fraud and visa fraud, and the seizure of the implements of such organizations and forfeiture of the proceeds of their criminal activity.

Sec. 3. Implementation. In furtherance of the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, or their designees, shall co chair and direct the existing interagency Threat Mitigation Working Group (TMWG), which shall:

(a) work to support and improve the coordination of Federal agencies' efforts to identify, interdict, investigate, prosecute, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations within and beyond the United States;

(b) work to improve Federal agencies' provision, collection, reporting, and sharing of, and access to, data relevant to Federal efforts against transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations;

(c) work to increase intelligence and law enforcement information sharing with foreign partners battling transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, and to enhance international operational capabilities and cooperation;

(d) assess Federal agencies' allocation of monetary and personnel resources for identifying, interdicting, and dismantling transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, as well as any resources that should be redirected toward these efforts;

(e) identify Federal agencies' practices, any absence of practices, and funding needs that might hinder Federal efforts to effectively combat transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations;

(f) review relevant Federal laws to determine existing ways in which to identify, interdict, and disrupt the activity of transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, and ascertain which statutory authorities, including provisions under the Immigration and Nationality Act, could be better enforced or amended to prevent foreign members of these organizations or their associates from obtaining entry into the United States and from exploiting the United States immigration system;

(g) in the interest of transparency and public safety, and in compliance with all applicable law, including the Privacy Act, issue reports at least once per quarter detailing convictions in the United States relating to transnational criminal organizations and their subsidiaries;

(h) to the extent deemed useful by the Co-Chairs, and in their discretion, identify methods for Federal agencies to coordinate, as permitted by law, with State, tribal, and local governments and law enforcement agencies, foreign law enforcement partners, public-health organizations, and non governmental organizations in order to aid in the identification, interdiction, and dismantling of transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations;

(i) to the extent deemed useful by the Co-Chairs, and in their discretion, consult with the Office of National Drug Control Policy in implementing this order; and

(j) within 120 days of the date of this order, submit to the President a report on transnational criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including the extent of penetration of such organizations into the United States, and issue additional reports annually thereafter to describe the progress made in combating these criminal organizations, along with any recommended actions for dismantling them.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 9, 2017

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· · · · · ·

Trump signs executive actions aimed at crime crackdown
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 2:42 PM

By Jordan Fabian - 02/09/17 11:27 AM EST

2,635

The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax

Signed in as mikenova

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Trump Signs Criminal Justice Executive Actions - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 2:09 PM

Published on Feb 9, 2017

Following the swearing-in of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, President Donald Trump signed three executive actions, including an order to have the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security tackle the problem of "criminal cartels." (Feb. 9)

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Конгрессмены не дадут Трампу отменить санкции против Кремля без их одобрения - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 1:25 PM

Published on Feb 9, 2017

Группа из шести сенаторов, включая влиятельного республиканца Маккейна, внесла на рассмотрение конгресса США законопроект, который свяжет Дональду Трампу руки, если он решится на снятие санкций с Москвы.

Iran conducts missile launch after new US sanctions - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 1:10 PM

Published on Feb 9, 2017

Reaction from Dr. Walid Phares, former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign and a Fox News national security and foreign affairs analyst

Trump VS Nordstrom: Do US president's tweets raise ethical concerns? - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 10:51 AM

Published on Feb 9, 2017

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In executive actions, President Trump vows crackdown on violent crime. Is America as unsafe as he thinks?
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 3:28 PM

Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers | whitehouse.gov
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 3:13 PM

Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers

Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety | whitehouse.gov
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 3:12 PM

Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety

Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking | whitehouse.gov
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 2:53 PM

Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking

Trump signs executive actions aimed at crime crackdown
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 2:42 PM

Trump Signs Criminal Justice Executive Actions - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 2:09 PM

Конгрессмены не дадут Трампу отменить санкции против Кремля без их одобрения - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 1:25 PM

Iran conducts missile launch after new US sanctions - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 1:10 PM

Trump VS Nordstrom: Do US president's tweets raise ethical concerns? - YouTube
Thursday February 9th, 2017 at 10:51 AM

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