Birmingham among 12 cities that will get federal help to fight violent crime

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Jeff Sessions
[Photo Credit: AP Photo | Jacquelyn Martin]

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced Birmingham is among the 12 cities that will receive federal aid to help fight violent crime.

DOJ said Tuesday the new National Public Safety Partnership, dubbed “PSP,” initiative comes on the heels of President Donald Trump‘s February executive order on public safety. 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.

News of its formation came before the opening session of a national summit organized by the Attorney General’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety.

“Turning back the recent troubling increase of 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,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

According to the DOJ, the initial 12 cities are that ones need “significant assistance” in combating “gun crime, drug trafficking and gang violence.”

“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,” Sessions continued. “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 12 cities that have been selected are: Birmingham, Ala.; Indianapolis, In.; Memphis, Tenn.; Toledo, Ohio; Baton Rouge, La.; Buffalo, NY; Cincinnati, Ohio; Huston, Texas; Jackson, Tenn.; Kansas City, Mo; Lansing, Mi; and Springfield, Ill.