Justice Department ramps up efforts to reduce violent crime with gun intel center, carjacking forces

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce violent crime in the U.S., launching a specialized gun intelligence center in Chicago and expanding task forces to curb carjackings. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco tells The Associated Press there’s “absolutely much more to do” to make communities safer, even as many places have experienced a downward trend in crime after a coronavirus pandemic-era spike. President Joe Biden’s administration has put an emphasis on fighting violent crime. The Democratic president has featured the issue in his reelection campaign to reach young voters concerned about gun violence. Republicans have seized on violence in some American cities to try to paint Democrats as weak on crime.