Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has announced the expansion of resources to fight violent crime in three additional cities as part of the Justice Department's Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI, which has already shown success in Houston and Memphis, is aimed at targeting gangs and violent groups that pose a threat to communities across the nation.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the Department's commitment to ensuring the safety of all communities, saying, "The Justice Department will not rest until every person, in every neighborhood, in every community is safe from violent crime."
FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed the FBI's renewed focus on violent crime in the newly added cities, stating, "The FBI, as part of the Violent Crime Initiative, is renewing our focus on violent crime in three additional cities and surging tools and resources to make our streets safer."
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri highlighted the importance of the VCI in targeting the worst offenders and making neighborhoods safer, stating, "Violent crime demands our urgent attention. Through our Violent Crime Initiative, the Criminal Division works in partnership with local U.S. Attorneys and federal and state law enforcement to use data to focus on the worst of the worst violent offenders."
The cities identified for the next phase of the VCI are St. Louis, Missouri; Jackson, Mississippi; and Hartford, Connecticut. These cities will benefit from the expertise of prosecutors from the Criminal Division's Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, as well as investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from various law enforcement agencies.
Local U.S. Attorneys in the designated cities also expressed their support for the initiative. U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri stated, "We look forward to working with them to make the St. Louis region safer." U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi welcomed the Justice Department's experts to help combat violent crime in Jackson. U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut expressed gratitude for the additional resources to focus on gun violence in Hartford.
ATF Director Steven Dettelbach emphasized the importance of doubling down on successful strategies, stating, "Now is the time to double and triple down on strategies that have been shown to work." DEA Administrator Anne Milgram highlighted the impact of drug-related crimes on communities and the need for a new approach to combat them.
The expansion of the Violent Crime Initiative to St. Louis, Jackson, and Hartford represents a concerted effort by the Justice Department to address violent crime and make communities safer through collaboration with local law enforcement and community leaders.