ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS ANNOUNCES CREATION OF NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERSHIP TO COMBAT VIOLENT CRIME

WASHINGTON – As the Department of Justice continues its efforts to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to reducing violent crime in America, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that 12 cities are joining the Department’s newly organized National Public Safety Partnership (PSP). The announcement came during the opening session of a national summit organized by the Attorney General’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. The summit convened federal, state and local law enforcement to discuss how to support and replicate successful local violent crime reduction efforts.

A list of the cities is posted at www.nationalpublicsafetypartnership.org.

“Turning back the recent troubling increase in violent crime in our country is a top priority of the Department of Justice and the Trump Administration, as we work to fulfill the President’s promise to make America safe again,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The Department of Justice will work with American cities suffering from serious violent crime problems. There is no doubt that there are many strategies that are proven to reduce crime. Our new National Public Safety Partnership program will help these communities build up their own capacity to fight crime, by making use of data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to specific local concerns, and by drawing upon the expertise and resources of our Department.”

“The partnership of federal, state and local law enforcement in Birmingham has already gained national prominence for our efforts in combating violent crime with the Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative and as one of the pilot cities of the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice,” said acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey for the Northern District of Alabama. “For us to be included in this National Public Safety Partnership means that we will get additional support from the Department of Justice for our ongoing and future efforts. This is further recognition of the fine work being done by the Birmingham Police Department, the City of Birmingham, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and other agencies working to find innovative solutions to the violent crime problem in Birmingham,” he said.

The Justice Department created PSP and the task force in response to President Trump’s February 9, 2017, Executive Order charging the agency with leading a national effort to combat violent crime. The partnership provides a framework for enhancing federal support of state, local and tribal law enforcement officials and prosecutors as they aggressively investigate and pursue violent criminals, specifically those involved in gun crime, drug trafficking and gang violence.

Twelve sites have been selected to receive this significant assistance:

• • Birmingham, Alabama

  • Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Memphis, Tennessee

  • Toledo, Ohio

  • Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  • Buffalo, New York

  • Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Houston, Texas

  • Jackson, Tennessee

  • Kansas City, Missouri

  • Lansing, Michigan

  • Springfield, Illinois

     

We anticipate announcing additional sites this calendar year.

The Justice Department agencies involved in PSP are the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Office of Justice Programs; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Office on Violence Against Women; and the Office of Community Oriented Policing.

For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to reduce violent crime and enhance public safety:

Attorney General Announces Crime Reduction and Public Safety Task Force

Attorney General Sessions Directs Federal Prosecutors to Target Most Significant Violent Offenders

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces New Initiatives to Advance Forensic Science and Help Counter the Rise in Violent Crime

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces New Actions to Support Law Enforcement and Maintain Public Safety in Indian Country

Department of Justice Releases Report Detailing the Prosecutions of Transnational Criminal Organizations and their Subsidiaries

Attorney General Sessions Issues Charging and Sentencing Guidelines to Federal Prosecutors