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U.S. NEWS Thursday 19 december 2019
Justice Dept. plans crackdown on violent crime in 7 cities

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and tional database known as
COREY WILLIAMS NIBIN, or the National Inte-
Associated Press grated Ballistic Information
DETROIT (AP) — The Justice Network, which can help
Department announced match images of bullet
a crackdown Wednesday cases collected at crime
aimed at driving down vio- scenes to link shootings.
lent crime in seven of the Targeting violent crime
nation's most violent cities. has been a top priority for
Attorney General William the Justice Department,
Barr released details of the Barr and President Donald
initiative known as Opera- Trump.
tion Relentless Pursuit at a Barr, an ardent backer
news conference in Detroit of law enforcement, was
alongside the leaders of known for a tough-on-
the FBI, the Drug Enforce- crime approach in his pre-
ment Administration, the vious stint as the nation's
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac- chief law enforcement offi-
co, Firearms and Explo- cer in the early 1990s as the
sives and the U.S. Marshals national violent crime rate
Service. As part of the ini- peaked. Those efforts, he
tiative, the Justice Depart- has said, helped seriously
ment will intensify federal Detroit Police Chief James Craig,left, speaks as U.S. Attorney General William Barr, and FBI Director cut violent crime.
law enforcement resources Christopher Wray listen during the announcement of a new national crime reduction initiative, Still, Barr has also embraced
in the seven cities — Detroit; Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, in Detroit. a bipartisan criminal justice
Albuquerque, New Mexico; Associated Press reform measure known as
Baltimore; Cleveland; the the First Step Act, which
Kansas City, Missouri, and "In a number of cities it's a officers in each of the cities and technology. gives judges more discre-
Kansas City, Kansas, met- stubborn problem. The fed- and add additional officers The federal law enforce- tion when sentencing some
ropolitan area; Memphis, eral government can't at- to federal task forces. The ment agencies will work drug offenders, eases man-
Tennessee; and Milwaukee tack this problem alone. It department is also com- with local and state inves- datory minimum sentences
— that have violent crime depends on collaboration mitting up to $71 million in tigators to target violent and encourages inmates
rates higher than the na- with state and local part- federal grant funds that criminals, members of drug to participate in programs
tional average. ners." can help fund the task cartels and gun traffickers designed to reduce the risk
"Fighting violent crime is The Justice Department forces, be used to hire new by utilizing federal resourc- of recidivism, with credits
one of the priorities of this will increase the number of officers, pay overtime and es and intelligence. Agents that can be used to gain
administration," Barr said. federal law enforcement purchase new equipment will also utilize the ATF's na- an earlier release.q