Through the initiative, assistant attorneys general in the Attorney General’s Office are sworn in as Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) and work to charge violent crimes in federal court.   “Combating violent crime in Missouri’s major cities has been a priority for me since I was sworn in as Missouri’s Attorney General back in 2019. The Safer Streets Initiative was one of the first initiatives that my Office launched and has been extremely successful in prosecuting some of Missouri’s most violent offenders,” said Attorney General Schmitt. “The numbers speak for themselves –the Safer Streets Initiative has resulted in 614 total charges filed against 337 defendants for serious violent crimes. The new class of SAUSAs will continue this important work of fighting violent crime in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield.”   Since the launch of the Safer Streets Initiative, 614 charges have been filed against 337 defendants. 154 charges against 85 defendants were filed in the Western District, and 460 charges were filed against 252 defendants in the Eastern District. Those charges include Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, Hobbs Act Robbery, Carjacking, Witness/Victim Tampering, and other violent crimes.     The new class of SAUSAs adds two additional attorneys to the Eastern District in St. Louis and one additional attorney to the Western District.   The new class of SAUSAs will work with existing SAUSAs and federal authorities to prosecute the most violent offenders in Missouri’s major cities.  

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