The Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee convened on May 28, 2024, to discuss recent progress in combating violent crime and future strategies. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has previously increased resources and established initiatives nationwide to reduce violent crime. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, which led to the creation of a Steering Committee chaired by Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) Marshall Miller. This committee includes leadership and representatives from various Justice Department components, including law enforcement and prosecutorial units.
PADAG Miller initiated the meeting with a briefing on recent violent-crime statistics showing a notable decline. Data from over 250 cities indicated significant reductions between 2022 and 2023: an 11% decrease in murder, an almost 8.5% decrease in rapes, a 2.3% decrease in aggravated assault, and nearly a 2% decrease in robbery. Early data from the first quarter of 2024 showed further declines: an 18.4% drop in murder, a 15.6% drop in rape, a 6.2% decrease in aggravated assault, and a 2.3% decline in robbery.
The Committee received updates on priority initiatives from various law enforcement components within the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discussed expanding Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), which use advanced technology to analyze firearm and ballistics evidence rapidly. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) highlighted carjacking task forces operating in eleven districts across the country.
Successes of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) were also presented. In Houston, efforts have led to a 9% reduction in violent crime and a 20% decline in homicides since the initiative's launch.
U.S. Attorneys shared effective strategies from their districts. U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan discussed the One Detroit initiative that combines enforcement with violence prevention and reentry programs; Detroit recorded its lowest number of homicides in over fifty years by the end of 2023.
Additional DOJ components shared plans to combat violent crime effectively. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discussed the Tenderloin Project addressing fentanyl poisonings and drug-related violence in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The U.S. Marshals Service described Operation North Star targeting dangerous armed fugitives using data-driven approaches.
U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for South Dakota emphasized the need for increased federal assistance to combat violent crime in Indian country.
At the meeting's conclusion, PADAG Miller stated that the Steering Committee would report developments from these initiatives to DOJ leadership and provide recommendations for additional policy and enforcement strategies.