Biden asks in New York for more resources for the police in the face of the wave of violence that is sweeping the country | International

The visit that the president of the United States, Joe Biden, made this Thursday to New York has staged the concern of the White House and the Democratic Party at the rise in crime in the Big Apple and the rest of the country. Accompanied by the country’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, the president met with the mayor, Eric Adams, and the governor of the State of New York, Kathy Hochul, both Democrats; Several congressmen from his party and the state attorney general, Letitia James, attended the meeting. The first scenario chosen to address the strategy in the fight against crime was the headquarters of the New York Police Department, the largest in the country, with 35,000 officers. The second, a school in the district of Queens, to exchange ideas on prevention with community leaders.

In the design of the program were all the elements that the Biden Administration intends to integrate into its approach to the phenomenon. A clear support for the police response – both Biden and Adams reject the move Defund the police (Divest in the police), encouraged by his most progressive co-religionists-, but without forgetting the intervention in the roots of the phenomenon: the most disadvantaged communities, such as Afro-Americans and Latinos. At the same time, ten months before crucial mid-term elections, Biden is trying to show firmness in the face of the problem, in the face of criticism of weakness and lukewarmness from the Republican opposition. Democrats are not willing to give away the trump card of insecurity to the conservatives.

In the meeting at police headquarters, Biden spoke about the recent death in the line of duty of two officers, whom he said he “admired a lot,” and proposed giving the force more funds, not cutting its budget. “It’s not about definancing, it’s about financing,” he stressed. The president requested more resources for the community police and for the federal agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Weapons and Explosives (ATF, in its English acronym). “The President is here today because he knows what Americans want: justice, security and prosperity,” said Eric Adams; “knows that citizen security and justice are the foundation of our economy, our democracy and our society.”

The president, who considers this wave of violence an epidemic, presented in June an action plan, budgeted at 500 million dollars, to allocate more resources to the police and socioeconomic intervention in the communities. The initiative also aims to juggle the so-called Iron Pipeline, the weapons supply route from the southern states of the country to the east coast, as well as putting repeat offenders out of circulation. In New York, where 116 people have been victims of shootings so far this year, there is a heated debate about bail reform. Current laws eliminate the option for judges to set cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes, something the new Manhattan prosecutor advocates.

The president defended his plan and met the critics. “This does not violate the right to the Second Amendment [que consagra el derecho a poseer y portar armas] from no one. There is no amendment that is absolute. You couldn’t buy a cannon when it was passed. There is no reason why you should now be able to purchase certain assault weapons,” he stated.

The proliferation of shootings in New York in recent weeks – in addition to the police officers killed in the line of duty, four others were injured in separate incidents in January – is not exclusive to the Big Apple; cities like Chicago, Memphis or Philadelphia are also bleeding. The sustained increase in violence has marked the country since the pandemic, with 21,500 homicides in 2020, almost 59 a day; an increase of 30% in one year. Almost half of the victims (9,941) were African American, a community that represents 12% of the population. Hence the emphasis that both Biden and Adams place on intervening in communities and neighborhoods.

The police reinforcement, with the hiring of more agents, is viewed with suspicion by progressives, as well as the current regulations on bail. Adams intends to recover a street unit to fight the small arms traffic that floods New York. The White House anticipates measures against the calls ghosts, or privately manufactured, assembled from loose parts, without a serial number, or printed in 3D, which circumvent all controls. Between 2016 and 2020, 23,900 weapons of this type were seized, responsible for at least 325 homicides. Its use has increased 400% in the last four years, according to data published this Thursday by the ATF.

With more guns than people, the US is the most well-equipped country in the world, a trend that has also skyrocketed during the pandemic, especially among new buyers. In the last two years, 43 million weapons have been sold. In June 2021, 30% of American adults said they owned at least one, according to a Pew Research study.

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