On Monday, President Joe Biden held a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland, law officials, and authorities to speak of the increasing crime rates in the country. His opening remarks consisted of pointing to his ardent efforts to address the problem at hand for “a long, long time.”
While President Joe Biden acknowledged his attempts to control the issue, he did admit that a more directed approach is required. From punishing gun dealers to conducting a crackdown on gun trafficking, there is still a lot that needs to be done.
Biden said he’d be asking the experts assembled about the potential steps that can be taken to address crime rates. However, he did not converse directly with Congress, nor did he pressure law officials to take immediate action.
Earlier, White House Secretary Jen Psaki gave a snippet of what Biden aimed to accomplish with this meeting. She said the group had been assembled to discuss President Joe Biden’s “comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence and violent crime.”
Biden revealed the contents of his plan last month, which included the provision of resources to the police departments for gun crime laws. It also allowed communities to reallocate the millions of dollars of coronavirus relief funds to programs aimed at restricting gun violence.
Despite Biden putting his best foot forward, several Republicans have accused the President of being “soft on crime.” According to Psaki, Biden is in talks with local leaders to work together and solve the problem. Officials who attended this meeting at the White House include Washington Democratic Mayor Muriel Browser and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
Post attending the meeting, Adams said that President Joe Biden has made his agenda very clear. He is going to reestablish the public safety system, which includes redefining the role of families, schools, police, and resources.
The President’s session on addressing gun violence comes amid the country’s growing crime rate. According to a study issued earlier this year, the number of homicides in the first three months of the year had increased by 24%, as compared to the same time frame in 2020.