The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce the nation's violent crime, launching a specialized gun intelligence center at Chicago's ATF office and expanding task forces to curb carjackings, the Associated Press reports. Modeled after similar centers run by the ATF in other cities, the new center in Chicago brings together federal agents and state and local police as well as federal and local prosecutors to share and analyze firearm intelligence to better identify traffickers and the most prolific shooters, officials said.
Though many places have experienced a downward trend in crime after a coronavirus pandemic-era spike, there is more work to do, said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco during a trip to Chicago this week. “No level of violence is acceptable,” she said. “We are seeing progress, but we’re far from done. We have to double down on the strategies that work, by bringing federal resources to act as force multipliers.” Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced it had finalized a new rule requiring thousands more firearms dealers to run background checks on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores. The initiatives are part of a broad effort by President Joe Biden’s administration to address violent crime.