The Resurgence of the Justice Department

By Jay Town, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. The former Marine Corps officer, and career prosecutor, was nominated by President Trump in June and confirmed by the Senate, and thereafter sworn, in August.

Like any division of government, the Department of Justice has found its share of headlines this year. There is a stark contrast between the headlines of the day and the underlying news. The headlines come with clever pageantry and facile strobe. The news in the finer font below is more often the circumstance without the pomp. Critical thought about government, including and especially the DOJ, is inevitable, but too often any intellectual curiosity about the news eludes us. As 2017 begins to give up her fight to a new year, it is perhaps a wise resolution to reflect more often upon the DOJ news than to gaze dimly at those headlines.

Violent crime is at its highest levels in decades. Under Attorney General Jeff Sessions' leadership, this frightening reality was confronted immediately. FBI data suggests that overall violent crime rates were up approximately 4 percent the last two years while the murder rates have risen at disturbing rates with a 10.8 percent increase in 2015 followed by 8.6 percent last year. In response, partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement have re-emerged as the force-multiplier needed to combat the increasing violence. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been revitalized, creating more robust partnerships that target violent criminals and drug traffickers in our communities. Defendants will "smartly" be prosecuted for the most serious, readily provable offenses and no longer will it be a unique approach to law enforcement to reserve bed-space in prisons for our worst offenders.

The news is that the DOJ will not cede our safety and security in one city, in one neighborhood, or on one street corner to crime. 

The opioid crisis in America is the deadliest in our history. In fact, 77 percent of the 64,000 drug overdoses last year were a result of prescription opioids, synthetic opioids like Fentanyl, or heroin. Opioid abuse is the number one cause of death for anyone under the age of 50. No part of our society -- not young or old, rich or poor -- has been spared the bane of drug addiction. The DOJ has responded by aggressively leading the prosecution of "pill mill" doctors and health care providers who have traded the efficacy of care for the poison of their own greed. President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and requested over $1 billion for anti-opioid treatment and law enforcement measures. The Department continues to stem the flow of deadly fentanyl across our borders and into our homes.

The news is that never before has there been such impactful measures to combat illegal narcotics.

The current administration has relieved law enforcement from the doldrums of previous policies by the trade winds of the freedom to pursue our worst offenders. The FBI continues to be at the forefront of not only traditional aspects of law enforcement, but also the emerging cyber and intelligence threats to our nation. The ATF and DEA continue to rid our streets of illegal guns and illicit drugs. The U.S. Marshals remain the best manhunters in the world. Our other federal partners are engaged at the highest levels. Perhaps more important, however, the morale of law enforcement is emboldened by believing once again that we have their backs, and they have our thanks.

The news is that crime again has sanction and sanction is again aggressively pursued.

Illegal immigration is at its lowest point in years while deportations continue to rise. Illegal immigrants who commit crimes are being prosecuted, not just deported, and justice given to victims of crime. Combating illegal immigration remains among DOJ's highest priorities. Transnational gangs like MS-13 can no longer take advantage of a porous border without notice. The President's travel ban was successfully defended by the Justice Department and the sanctuary of sanctuary cities is diminishing.

The news is that our borders are more secure.

There are myriad other successes of the Department of Justice. They won't fit neatly in a headline. They are too complex for the lower-third chyrons. Indeed, they are oft overshadowed by the shrewd headline's bold print.  Read onward! The triumphs of the Department of Justice will continue in the finer font. 

And the news is good!