President Joe Biden has announced an all-inclusive strategy to curtail the increasing gun violence. He began his speech by citing last year’s violent crimes, occurring during Trump’s presidency as the precursor to the current outlook in the city.
As the country rises from the worst of the pandemic, the hike in summer violence will only increase, Biden said. For this purpose, he has laid out a “comprehensive strategy” that will not only focus on gun dealers but also provide numerous resources to police departments for gun crime laws.
Additionally, he also wishes to reallocate the coronavirus relief fund for programs that work towards restricting gun violence. By doing so, Biden is aiming to put up a strong stand amidst GOP attacks over a rise in crimes in most American cities.
While Republicans have blamed high homicide rates on Democrats who asked for a cut in police funding, Biden has affirmed that gun violence is a primary contributor to the rise in crimes. From a clearer lens, the demands to “defund the police,” along with the racial equality protests of last year had resulted in a decrease in funding reductions across the state, as noted by the Associated Press.
White House secretary Jen Psaki said that there has been a sustained rise in violent crime over the last five years. With that information in mind, President Biden aims to give “local and state officials a number of tools” to aid them in their efforts to reduce gun violence, an official from the Biden administration said.
Biden’s administration will allow states to use the funding they received as part of the Covid-19 relief bill funding to counter gun violence; these measures will include establishing summer job programs, widespread hiring of police officers, and increased spending on controlling gun crimes.
Additional measures would include setting up a “zero tolerance” policy for gun dealers not abiding by the law, merging law enforcement officials with police departments, and the hiring of previously enslaved people for proper jobs in the government, emphasized the White House.
Although the measures to curb gun violence are a crucial requirement of the state, it is still unclear why the President has decided to focus on controlling crime this week in particular. As the White House boasts about the steps taken by the President to regulate gun crimes, it still misses the mark for gun control advocates who claim that a more structured, real-time approach is required to control the situation.
Despite Biden’s proclamation on restricting gun crimes, he is still expanding efforts to prioritize other issues, which include the coronavirus pandemic, rebuilding of the economy, and clearing an infrastructure package. At the time of his presidential campaign, Biden had made promises carrying a high weightage- yet to be fulfilled.
