National Gang Violence Prevention Week, 2020

( printed page 60343) Proclamation 10080 of September 18, 2020 National Gang Violence Prevention Week, 2020 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 responsibilit…