Biden, ahead of NYC visit, rolls out strategy to stop flow of guns, bolster law enforcement

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The Biden administration on Thursday morning rolled out a strategy to stop the flow of guns, bolster law enforcement and increase funding for community policing ahead of President Biden’s visit to New York City to meet with Mayor Eric Adams.

Senior administration officials said that the strategy builds on steps the president announced in June 2021, which were intended to stem the flow of firearms used to commit violence; support local law enforcement with federal tools and resources to address violent crime; invest in evidence-based community violence interventions, expanded summer programming, employment opportunities and other services and support for teenagers and young adults; and provide help for formerly incarcerated individuals to "successfully reenter their communities."

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As part of the strategy, the Justice Department announced a new directive to every U.S. attorney’s office nationwide to "increase resources dedicated to district-specific violent crime strategies."

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A senior administration official said the Justice Department will work with state and local law enforcement to address the "most significant drivers of violence in each district," including to "get repeat gun violence offenders off our streets."

The official said that New York City’s Gun Violence Strategic Partnership, which Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland will visit Thursday with Adams, is "one model of the strategies Justice will help expand nationwide." 

‘Iron Pipeline’

The Justice Department is also expected to "crack down on the ‘Iron Pipeline,’" a reference to the illegal flow of guns sold in the south and transported up the East Coast and found at crime scenes in cities from Baltimore to New York City.

The DOJ will also launch a "National Ghost Gun Enforcement Initiative," which officials say will "train a national cadre of prosecutors and disseminate investigation and prosecution tools to help bring cases against those who use ghost guns to commit crimes." 

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The Biden administration last year first took aim at "ghost guns" and modified firearms, which are homemade firearms without serial numbers that make it difficult for law enforcement to determine where, by whom, or when they were manufactured and to whom they were sold.

"The president is committed to serving as a strong partner for communities on the frontlines of the fight against crime," the White House said, noting that the American Rescue Plan provides "historic levels of funding" for cities and states so that they can "put more cops on the beat and invest in community-based violence prevention and intervention programs."

This Nov. 27, 2019, file photo shows "ghost guns" on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department. (Associated Press)

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Biden is also expected to call on Congress to reach a bipartisan agreement on the FY22 appropriations budget, which includes half a billion dollars in new funding for "proven strategies" officials say they "know will reduce gun crime."

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The proposal includes a $300 million increase to expand accountable community policing through the COPS Hiring Program and $200 million for evidence-based community violence interventions.

Paying their respects

The president’s trip to New York City comes after thousands of uniformed police officers from across the nation traveled to Manhattan to pay their respects to fallen NYPD officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, who were shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call last month.

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During his mayoral campaign, Adams said he believed there would be a "coordinated effort between the president, the governor and the mayor to go after the flow of guns in our city."

Adams, a retired NYPD captain, has pledged to make fighting crime a priority during his time as mayor and announced last month that he was fulfilling a campaign promise and bringing back a new version of the once-controversial plainclothes anti-gun unit that was disbanded by former Mayor Bill de Blasio during the height of the defund-the-police movement.

Adams has also said he has a "true ally in the White House," and touted Biden’s record, tweeting last month that he "knows what it takes to keep our streets safe."

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"His support will be invaluable in getting the job done," Adams tweeted.

New York City saw 485 people murdered last year, a slight increase from 2020. It also experienced a sharp rise in hate crimes and an increase in almost all categories of major crimes. Additionally, subway crimes are up 65% so far in 2022.

"New Yorkers feel as if a sea of violence is engulfing our city. But as your mayor, I promise you, I will not let this happen. We will not surrender our city to the violent few," Adams said at City Hall on Monday. "Gun violence is a public health crisis. There’s no time to wait. We must act." 

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller, Michael Lee and The Associated Press contributed to this report.