Jeff Session tells law enforcement: ‘We have your back’

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Jeff Sessions

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday praised President Donald Trump as a “law and order” president and told a gathering of law enforcement officials that they have support from the White House and the Justice Department.

In a visit to his home state of Alabama to speak at the department’s National Public Safety Partnership Symposium, Sessions praised the program’s partnership between the federal government and communities to help fight violent crime.

“Each one of you can be certain about this: we have your back and you have our thanks,” Sessions said.

Sessions touted the efforts of the Justice Department to fight violent crime and “back the blue.” He said Trump took office with a mission to restore public safety, and said it is a switch from those that “saw police as the problem in America.”

“Make no mistake about it President Trump is a law and order president,” Sessions said.

Sessions said new FBI crime statistics being released Monday will show that violent crime and murder declined in 2017.

The former Alabama senator spent the weekend in his home state. He did not mention Trump’s recent criticism of him for recusing himself from the Russia investigation or the controversy surrounding Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and reports that Rosenstein might have suggested secretly recording Trump.

Sessions joked that he appreciated the warm welcome after receiving loud applause as he walked on stage at the law enforcement gathering.

“It’ll make my day. … Who knows? I may need this today. Going back to Washington you never know what is going to happen next in the capital city that’s for sure.”

Sessions announced new grants for ballistic technology and improved investigative practices through Crime Gun Intelligence Centers for Indianapolis, Memphis, Baton Rouge and Tulsa. He also announced grants for technology improvements for Houston, Memphis and Toledo.

Republished with permission from the Associated Press.