Safer Streets Initiative a Success

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that, to date, his Safer Streets Initiative, which was launched in early 2019, has resulted in 516 charges against 289 defendants across the state. Additionally, 356 firearms have been taken off the streets as a result of the initiative.

“Since taking office, prosecuting violent crime in Missouri’s major cities has remained a top priority of mine as Attorney General. Missourians shouldn’t have to fear walking down the street in a neighborhood they’ve lived in their whole life– that’s why one of my first actions was to launch the Safer Streets Initiative,” said

Two years after launching the Safer Streets Initiative, our SAUSAs have filed over 500 charges against nearly 300 defendants - Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt

Attorney General Schmitt. “Two years after launching the Safer Streets Initiative, our SAUSAs have filed over 500 charges against nearly 300 defendants, a huge success in the fight against violent crime. But, the fight isn’t over. It’s my hope that this initiative can continue in the coming years to keep Missouri’s most violent offenders off the streets.”

The Safer Streets Initiative was launched in January of 2019 as a way for the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute the state’s most violent criminals in federal court. This unprecedented cooperative partnership between the Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri is one of the first of its kinds in the nation. Through the partnership, Assistant Attorneys General were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S.

Attorneys (SAUSAs) to prosecute violent criminals in federal court. In total, 516 charges have been filed across the state against 289 defendants. In the Eastern District, 387 charges were filed against 210 defendants. In the Western District, 129 charges were filed against 78 defendants.

Statewide, charges filed include 180 felon in possession of a firearm, 113 possession with intent to distribute, 8 Hobbs Act Robbery, 5 carjacking resulting in death, 5 carjacking, and more.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story