Joe Biden’s government tackles gun trafficking
Gun violence is at the heart of a heated debate in the United States. President Joe Biden intends to find an answer, since it is one of his campaign promises.
On Wednesday, the Democratic president is due to detail his administration’s strategy to fight crime.
KEYSTONE / EPA / TASOS KATOPODIS
On the eve of Joe Biden’s anti-crime announcements, the US Department of Justice on Tuesday announced the creation of five units to tackle gun trafficking.
These units will be set up in the next 30 days and will be focused on the major cities of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, which have recorded a sharp rise in homicides for the past year and a half.
Bringing together federal prosecutors, specialized police officers and local actors, they “will investigate and dismantle the networks which bring criminal weapons into our communities with tragic consequences”, explained Minister Merrick Garland, quoted in a press release.
On Wednesday, the minister will be at the White House, where the Democratic president must detail his administration’s strategy to fight crime and try to regain control in the face of accusations of laxity made by the Republican opposition.
Homicides on the rise
After years of decline, homicides rose about 25% in all U.S. cities in 2020 and remain at their highest in 2021.
“We believe that gun violence is the engine” of this increase and “that the president can help reduce it, in particular through the adoption of regulatory measures on weapons,” commented the spokesperson for White House Jen Psaki during a press briefing.
“Even if Congress is not currently moving, it can use its presidential platform and other levers,” she added, referring to the blocking, by Republican senators, of a bill aimed at better framing the purchase and sale of weapons.
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