President Biden’s strategy to reduce the nation’s surge in violent crime and murder is expected to focus on gun violence, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.
Ms. Psaki declined to offer specifics about the administration’s proposals but did say a focus on gun crimes will be key.
“The president feels a great deal of the crime we’re seeing is a result of gun violence,” she said at a press briefing. “You can expect he’ll speak to that and his commitment to continuing to address gun violence and gun safety around the country.”
Officials across the country are preparing for a summer spike in violent crimes as states lift COVID-19 restrictions and warmer weather brings people out.
Law enforcement in major cities already has stepped up patrols in high-crime neighborhoods, bolstering the number of officers on the street.
Several U.S. cities are experiencing homicide tallies that are outpacing last year’s historic rates. On average, homicide rates in major U.S. cities are up roughly 30%, though the FBI won’t release complete statistics until September.
The Biden administration has been reluctant to address the issue of violent crime, an issue that Republicans have seized upon. GOP lawmakers have hammered the administration as being soft on crime and have tried to tie it to the “defund the police” movement.
Mr. Biden has repeatedly insisted that he doesn’t support defunding the police.
Sign up for Daily Newsletters
