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

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.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said there is “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.

“No level of violence is acceptable,” Monaco said during a trip to Chicago this week. “We are seeing progress, but we’re far from done. We have to double down on the strategies that work, by bringing federal resources to act as force multipliers.”

The initiatives are part of a broad effort by President Joe Biden’s administration to address violent crime — an issue the Democratic president has featured in his reelection campaign to reach young voters concerned about gun violence. Republicans have seized on violence in some American cities, including the nation’s capital, to try to paint Democrats as weak on crime.

Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced it had finalized a new rule requiring thousands more firearms dealers to run background checks on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores. Gun rights groups are expected to mount legal challenges.

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