News Roundup

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced a “comprehensive strategy to combat gun violence and other violent crime” ahead of the summer months when major cities often experience increased gun violence.  Among other things, the administration’s press release says that local governments will be able to use American Rescue Plan funds to hire law enforcement officers, prosecute gun traffickers, and invest in new law enforcement equipment and technology.  Keep reading for more on this story and other news. Crime Plan Reactions.  In a broadcast this week, the PBS News Hour got two perspectives on the Biden Administration’s effort to reduce violent crime.  Cedric Richmond, a senior advisor to President Biden and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, touted what he characterized as historic investment in community violence intervention programs as well as increased funding for job training for formerly incarcerated people.  Richmond also noted that the plan would help address budget shortfalls that have forced some communities to reduce law enforcement services. Offering a critical perspective on the plan, DeRay McKesson, a co-founder of the group Campaign Zero which aims to eliminate police violence, welcomed the efforts to crack down on gun trafficking by focusing on manufacturers and dealers but said that increasing funding for law enforcement was unlikely to result in safer communities.  McKesson also criticized what he saw as the administration’s failure to tighten oversight of ATF and Border Patrol. APD.  There have been many stories in the local news over the past year about the Asheville [...]