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DOJ Unveils New Strategy to Reduce Violent Crime

In response to a recent rise in violent crime, the Justice Department is rolling out a new plan for combating the surge heading into the summer months.

In response to a recent rise in violent crime, the Justice Department is rolling out a new plan for combating the surge heading into the summer months. 

In this Wednesday, June 3, 2020, photo Acting Drug Enforcement Administrator Timothy Shea, right, visits with DEA agents at a checkpoint in Washington. More than 1,500 people have been arrested in the last three months as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration project focusing on violent crime. The initiative, nicknamed Project Safeguard, comes as President Donald Trump has touted similar operations as a much-needed answer to a spike in crime. It's also to showcase what he says is his law-and-order prowess, claiming he’s countering rising crime in cities run by Democrats. Acting DEA Administrator Tim Shea tells the AP that since the operation launched in August, 1,521 people have been arrested in both state and federal cases in cities across the U.S. and 2,135 firearms have been seized.  (AP Photo/Mike Balsamo)

WASHINGTON (CN) — Violent crime in the United States is reaching a fever pitch. The nation’s murder rate increased by over 25% and major U.S. cities saw a 33% rise in homicides in 2020. The trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down in 2021. 

Cities like MinneapolisAtlanta and Oakland have seen sharp increases in shootings that local law enforcement has struggled to get under control. 

As a result, the Justice Department announced late Wednesday sweeping efforts to prevent and reduce violent crime across the country. 

“Today, we renew our commitment to reducing violent crime and building strong communities where all Americans are safe,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a press release.  

The federal agency will partner with state, local, and tribal law enforcement to roll out a three-pronged strategy to mitigate the surge, spearheaded by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. 

According to senior Justice Department officials, the strategy aims to build up law enforcement legitimacy in communities across the country, invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs, employ strategic enforcement efforts to prevent more crimes, and measure progress based on how many crimes were averted, rather than on the number of arrests and prosecutions. 

“In this endeavor, we will engage our communities as critical partners,” the attorney general said. “And through our grantmaking, we will support programming at all stages—from the earliest violence interruption strategies to post-conviction reentry services.” 

The strategy will also revamp the Project Safe Neighborhood program that was established in 2001. The initiative, which is coordinated through 94 U.S. Attorney's Offices, seeks to identify and address violent crime in cities and states nationwide. 

U.S. attorneys involved with the program will be asked to update their plans to align with the overall strategy, senior Justice Department officials said. 

The department will also deploy several of its member agencies in the new strategy. The FBI will help state and local law enforcement identify the most violent offenders in each community; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will embed with local homicide units to match ballistics from crime scenes with other evidence across the country; the Drug Enforcement Administration will move to disrupt violent drug trafficking gangs operating in areas with the highest crime rates; and the U.S. Marshals Service will conduct sweeps nationwide for fugitives wanted for homicide, aggravated assault or robbery, and rape. 

“We are charged with the responsibility of seeking justice under the law,” Monaco, the deputy attorney general, wrote in an internal memo. “One of the most important components of that responsibility is doing all we can, consistent with our values, to reduce violent crime in our communities.” 

Categories / Criminal, Government, National

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