Trump promises 'crime-free' cities amid FBI arrest surge under 'Operation Summer Heat'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday, October 15, to make American cities crime-free. He also cited the historic results of his administration's Operation Summer Heat anti‑crime campaign.

Trump said during a press conference, “We’re going to save all our cities and make them essentially crime-free. Other countries have crime-free cities. … It’s going to stop and it stops here."

FBI director reveals record number of arrests made in crime crackdown

FBI Director Kash Patel announced that Operation Summer Heat has led to 28,600 violent criminals being arrested in seven months. 

He also said, "In a 3-month span, you've had 8,700 arrests of violent criminals. You had 2,200 firearms seized off the streets permanently to safeguard our communities."

"You had 421 kilograms of fentanyl seized. Just to put that in perspective, that's enough to kill 55 million Americans alone," he added.

Patel further said to Trump, "You had 2,100 indictments in three months from June to September alone. Mr president, that in and of itself would be historic for a four-year presidency. You did that in seven months because you let good cops be cops."

Regarding missing children, Patel said, “The FBI has located 5,400 missing children. That is a 30% increase over the last administration.”

Patel also boasted that federal agents had captured the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk within about 30 hours of the attack.

“We delivered in record speed, a manhunt to capture Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin in 33 hours,” Patel said.

He added, “The best thing we can do to honor my friend Charlie Kirk's life is to make sure that everyone involved is prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and that's what we are focused on- investigating the facts, not trading in conspiracy theories."

Operation Summer Heat will expand to Memphis

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the next phase of Operation Summer Heat will expand to Memphis, where about 70 arrests and 12 gun seizures were made in a single night.

“President Trump, the men and women of law enforcement say two things to me repeatedly: you’ve taken the handcuffs off them, and you let cops be cops,” Bondi said.

“That’s why all this is happening. They’re working through a government shutdown, with small children at home, to keep our country and our world safe,” she added.