Federal Prosecutor Dedicated To Making Northeast Oklahoma Safer

Tulsa's U.S. Attorney Trent Shores is responsible for prosecuting people in federal court. He's been aggressive doing just that in the two years he's held the job and says it's resulted in a four-year low of violent crime in the Tulsa area.

He sits down with News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright for an exclusive interview.

Trent Shores grew up in Tulsa. He's been a federal prosecutor here and now as the U.S. Attorney, his priorities are stopping violence by catching Alpha criminals, catching online sexual predators and working on drug trafficking.

Shores says he's increased the number of prosecutors in his office, so they can take on more cases. He says they are all personally invested in keeping Green Country safe.

"All of our prosecutors live here, work here and are giving back to protect the community we live in," said Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for Oklahoma's Northern District.

He's a member of the Choctaw Nation, went to college at Vanderbilt then got his law degree at OU. He actively seeks out cases out in area towns and counties.

"If the U.S. Attorney's Office, if the United States of America can help hold these offenders, can pull out the worst of the worst from these communities so they can rebuild without these alpha criminals, we want to do so," Shores said.

He says Alpha criminals are violent, repeat offenders, who recruit young people into a life of crime.

"These Alpha criminals are the ones we have real impact on with it comes to a federal prison term," the prosecutor said.

Another focus is online sexual predators. A recent 30-day sting operation resulted in 19 people charged.

Related Story:  Oklahoma Men Charged In Child Sexual Exploitation Investigation 

"Once the undercover officer says I'm only 14 years old, is that a problem, and the suspect says, not a problem for me, that's exactly who we want to take off the streets," said Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for Oklahoma's Northern District.

He believes in the justice system and says most cops and prosecutors do things the right way, but if they don't - they too, need to be held accountable.

"I think restoring that confidence in the American justice system is important, and we've been trying to do that," he said.

Shores said he wants to restore peoples’ faith in the American justice system so they know it does work to make our community safer.