CLEVELAND — The Justice Department is launching a crackdown aimed at driving down crime in seven of the nation's most violent cities.
Attorney General William Barr announced the initiative known as Operation Relentless Pursuit at a news conference in Detroit, Michigan. He was joined by the leaders of the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Justice Department will intensify federal law enforcement resources in the seven cities with violent crime rates high above the national average. They are: Detroit, Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City, Memphis and Milwaukee.
"Fighting violent crime is one of the priorities of this administration," Barr said. "In a number of cities it’s a stubborn problem. The federal government can’t attack this problem alone. It depends on collaboration with state and local partners."
The initiative will provide up to $71 million in federal funding for hiring new officers and purchasing new equipment. The number of federal authorities will also increase, as well as the number of federal task forces partnering with local agencies.
Said United State Attorney Justin Herdman:
"Operation Relentless Pursuit is aptly named, as it is what we do every day in law enforcement through great partnerships on the federal, state, and local level. With these additional Department of Justice resources, we will tirelessly pursue the most violent criminals, fugitives, gang members and drug traffickers in our city. We will also relentlessly pursue a brighter, safer future for all of our friends and neighbors in Cleveland."
Cleveland and the other cities involved in the initiative all have violent crime rates higher than the national average, according to the Associated Press.
