PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Top law enforcement officials gathered Tuesday for what they say was a listening session with the U.S. Justice Department on how to tackle the gun violence crisis through their newly introduced Public Safety Partnership announced a few months ago.
The goal is for the feds to come in and bolster chosen cities in how they fight crime in a city that has seen more than 500 homicides this year.
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"To help us figure out and access where the gaps might be in fighting the violent crime epidemic, in filling those gaps with technology, with expertise, with tweaked programs, community outreach, and the like," said
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
She said that experts on federal grants at the Department of Justice could help be an immediate game-changer.
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"They are going to be, while accessing where the gaps might be, finding us grant programs that might be targeted where we have needs and we actually as a public safety partnership city have priority in those grant applications, so the change and impact will be immediate," she explained.
Arbittier Williams, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, ATF Special Agent in Charge Matt Varisco and First Assistant from the District Attorney’s Office Robert Listenbee all presented their various needs. District Attorney Larry Krasner presented via Zoom.
