President Joe Biden brought law enforcement officials from key battleground states into the White House on Wednesday as he touted a drop in crime in major cities and urged Congress to do more on policing and gun control.
“Murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery – and burglaries, property crimes and thefts are all down dramatically. That matters,” Biden told a gathering that included law enforcement officials from Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Detroit and Milwaukee.
Data from the FBI, the top U.S. law enforcement entity, Violent crime has dropped significantly since 2020.
Detroit Police Chief James White said the funding from Biden’s 2021 American Rescue Plan “is a huge game changer for Detroit” during a speech at the White House on Wednesday. It has helped us reduce crime to an all-time low. “
White said the Detroit Police Department is using the funds not just for traditional law enforcement but also to expand mental health services on the force.
Freud legislation
Biden also reiterated his call Wednesday for lawmakers to pass the bill George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The bill, named for a Black Minneapolis resident killed by police in 2020, seeks to increase police accountability, transparency and data collection, and improve police practices and training.
He also called for further action on gun control, a move that faced strong opposition from powerful industry players such as the National Rifle Association.
“I have taken more executive actions to stop the flow of illegal guns than any other administration in history,” Biden said. “When I signed the most important gun safety law in nearly 30 years, we defeated the National Rifle Association. We will get it done. This work. Next time we will ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines because it has to be done.”
On the issue of gun ownership, Pew Research Center poll America is found divided. About one-third of Americans say they own a gun.
Gun safety advocates on Wednesday praised the Biden administration’s gun safety initiatives. Monisha Henley, senior vice president of government affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety, described the Biden White House as “the strongest gun safety administration in history.”
“Our first priority is for the Biden-Harris administration to implement ATF’s lifesaving rules to close fatal holes in our background check system,” she said in a statement provided to VOA. ATF refers to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“We plan to work closely with the administration this year to continue advancing an ambitious gun violence prevention agenda,” Henry said.
But Biden’s main political challenger, Donald Trump, has sharply criticized his public safety policies. On Wednesday, Trump’s campaign described Biden’s plan as a “pro-crime, anti-police agenda.”
“President Donald Trump stands with police,” the campaign said in a statement. “[Trump] Pledge to compensate all police and law enforcement officials across America. “
Biden on Wednesday defined the challenge of public safety through a different lens.
“There is no greater responsibility than keeping families, children, communities and our country safe,” he said.
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