WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Holds Meeting to Discuss Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety

Today, President Biden, Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, as well as local law enforcement leaders, elected officials, and a community violence intervention expert, met to discuss his comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence and violent crime and hear firsthand how the federal government can support the work they're doing on the ground.

During the meeting, the President discussed his crime reduction strategy, which gives cities and states historic funding through the American Rescue Plan and a range of tools they can use to improve public safety in their communities – including investing in more police officers and community policing, support for community violence intervention programs, summer employment opportunities, and other proven methods to reduce crime.

Gun violence advocates, law enforcement leaders and state, local, and federal elected officials thanked President Biden for making this meeting a priority and for continuing to build on his robust plan to protect families and communities across the country.

See below for what they are saying:

Gun Violence Prevention Advocates

Shannon Watts, Founder, Moms Demand Action: "President Biden and Vice President Harris have pledged to take action on gun violence, and today's meeting makes clear how they are delivering. President Biden is convening the broad coalition we need to address gun violence, from city leaders to law enforcement officials, and using every tool at its disposal, from going after gun trafficking to increased funding. Now it's time for the Senate to join them by confirming David Chipman as Director of the ATF and by-passing lifesaving, bipartisan background check legislation." [Statement, 7/12/21]

John Feinblatt, President Everytown for Gun Safety: "Gun violence is an epidemic in our country, and President Biden continues to meet rising summer gun violence with the action America needs. President Biden is taking on gun trafficking and investing in the proven on-the-ground violence intervention programs, providing the comprehensive approach we need to address this crisis. Today's meeting convening city leaders, who are often facing the brunt of our gun violence epidemic, again demonstrates this administration's commitment to ensuring those disproportionately impacted by gun violence are given the tools they need to protect their communities." [Statement, 7/12/21]

Media Coverage

AP: Biden balances fighting rising crime, reforming police
Biden met at the White House with Democratic urban leaders — including Eric Adams, the heavy favorite to be the next mayor of New York City — about increased shootings, as they warily watch a surge across the nation. Though limited to what can be done at the federal level, Biden promised to support efforts on the ground to combat crime.

"We know when we utilize trusted community members and encourage more community policing, we can intervene before the violence erupts," the president said.

[...]
White House aides believe that Biden, with his long legislative record on crime as a former senator, is not easy to paint as soft on the issue, and the president has been clear that he is opposed to the "defund the police" movement, which has been effectively used against some Democrats to paint them as anti-law enforcement.

The president promotes the money for policing in his COVID-19 relief bill and, reflecting on his nearly four decades in the Senate, declares that "Most of my career has been on this issue."

New York Times: Biden meets with Merrick Garland, Eric Adams and others to address gun violence.
President Biden met with a group of federal and local leaders on Monday at the White House to promote his administration's strategy to combat an alarming rise in gun violence, kicking off a week in which he will focus on trying to shore up several domestic priorities that are confronting daunting challenges in Congress.

In a plan unveiled late last month, Mr. Biden  encouraged jurisdictions across the country to do what they can to bring down crime as hopes for federal legislation grow dim. It included urging local agencies to draw on $350 billion in funds from his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package to support law enforcement. Mr. Biden has also directed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to more quickly revoke the licenses of gun dealers who fail to run background checks.

Reuters: Biden: federal, local governments must work together to fight U.S. crime
U.S. President Joe Biden urged local and federal leaders to "come together" to reduce gun violence on Monday at a meeting with law enforcement officers and mayors aimed at tackling an alarming rise in crime in many cities.

Biden, who has pledged to push for sweeping changes to firearms laws, last month unveiled measures to stem the flow of firearms used in crimes, building on executive orders signed in April that include a push by the Justice Department to better control self-assembled "ghost guns."

The Democratic president, who has longstanding ties to law enforcement, has also announced steps to hold rogue firearms dealers accountable for violating federal laws and help states hire more police officers using COVID-19 rescue funds.

ABC News: Biden convenes session on gun violence amid surge in crime
Glancing at Garland at the top of the meeting, Biden opened his remarks by acknowledging that he's been trying to solve this problem for many years.

"We've been at this a long time, a long time. Seems like most of my career I've been dealing with this issue. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach, we know there are some things that work. And the first of those that work is stemming the flow of firearms used to commit violent crimes," Biden said.

"It includes cracking down on holding rogue gun dealers accountable for violating the federal law. It includes the Justice Department creating five new strike forces to crack down on illegal gun trafficking," Biden said...

CNBC: Biden hosts police chiefs as Democrats try to contain political fallout from violent crime spike
"We recognize that we have to come together for the first responsibility of democracy: to keep each other safe," Biden said before the meeting. "And that's what the American people are looking for when it comes to reducing violent crime and gun violence."

NBC News: Biden pitches crime plan to local leaders amid wave of gun violence
Administration officials sent out a memo Monday to state and local officials encouraging them to use the Covid-19 relief funds to hire police officers and put in place new crime prevention programs. The memo provided examples of how cities are looking to use the funds, like a proposal by Washington, D.C., to use $59 million on a range of programs including adding police cadet slots.

"We know that the rise in violent crime over the last 18 months is a complex and multidimensional challenge for communities around the country, and that it requires a comprehensive response," the memo said. "And we know that cities and states need a strong partner in the federal government to get that done. That's why we've been heartened to see communities moving already to use the funding in the Rescue Plan to bolster public safety."

CNN: Biden administration urging state and local governments to use Covid relief funding to address uptick in violent crime
New York Democratic mayoral primary winner Eric Adams was one of the leaders in attendance. Adams, the Brooklyn Borough president and a former NYPD captain, won his primary in part because of his tough-on-crime stance -- a message that many Democrats say could be critical for 2022 midterm election wins.

Adams told CNN following the meeting that Biden is "sending a loud message that this country, and cities like New York, we're no longer going to normalize the level of violence that's taking place in our inner cities, particularly handgun violence, something we have ignored on the federal level."

When pressed by CNN's Victor Blackwell on "Newsroom" about whether the President has offered anything new to deal with handgun violence, Adams said Biden is "taking a new -- and what I believe for the first of its kind, a holistic approach. ... The President has made it clear: We're going to look at crisis management teams, we're going to look at the educational system, employment, all of those things that could become a feeder to violence."

USA Today: NYC mayoral candidate Eric Adams joins Biden, other leaders on plan to reduce gun violence
Eric Adams, a former police captain who clinched the New York Democratic mayoral nomination last week, met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday to discuss the administration's plan to curb a nationwide surge in gun violence.

The Brooklyn borough president, joined by the mayors of Washington, D.C., and San Jose, Calif., as well as several law enforcement officials, met with the president and Attorney General Merrick Garland about Biden's crime prevention strategy, which includes targeting rogue gun dealers and tracking illegal firearms. The plan also encourages cities to use direct funds from the president's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to invest in more public safety initiatives, including hiring more police officers and community violence prevention programs.

FOX News: Biden calls for hiring more police, cracking down on illegal guns to combat crime
President Biden on Monday convened a group of federal law enforcement and community leaders at the White House to discuss his administration's comprehensive strategy to reduce gun crimes, saying there is "no one-size-fits-all approach" to combating gun violence and doubling down on the need to hire more police officers and crack down on illegal firearms.

[...]

"What we want to do, is when we know we utilize trusted community members, and encourage more community policing, we can intervene before the violence erupts," he explained, saying that has been "the consensus in our experience and community violence prevention programs have shown to reduce crime in some cities by 60%."

Axios: White House's tough-on-crime message: Use COVID funds
With crime surging around the country, the Biden administration is telling local officials how to use some of the $1.9 trillion in COVID relief funds to bolster their police departments.

Driving the news: That guidance is spelled out in a White House memo obtained by Axios ahead of President Biden's meeting today with law enforcement and elected officials from around the country — including Eric Adams, New York City's Democratic mayoral nominee and former police captain, who's openly critical of his own party.

[...]

Details: The memo's subject line leaves little mystery about how the White House is seeking to position itself: "How Local and State Government Can — and Should — Use the President's Gun Crime Reduction Strategy and Historic Rescue Plan Funding to Improve Public Safety."

• It makes clear that COVID funds may be used for law enforcement and commends several cities that are doing so.
• It was written by Domestic Policy Council director Susan Rice; Gene Sperling, who's monitoring the $1.9 trillion in COVID relief spending; and Julie Rodriguez, the director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Reuters: Biden to meet with local leaders to rev up fight against gun violence
Biden, who has pledged to push for sweeping changes to firearms laws, last month unveiled measures to stem the flow of firearms used in crimes, building on executive orders signed in April that include a push by the Justice Department to better control self-assembled "ghost guns"

The Democratic president, who has longstanding ties to law enforcement, has also announced steps to hold rogue firearms dealers accountable for violating federal laws and help states hire more police officers using COVID-19 rescue funds.

Bloomberg: NYC's Adams to Join Biden in Crime-Fighting Talks at White House
Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, will attend a White House meeting with President Joe Biden on Monday on cracking down on gun crime and firearms dealers, according to a person familiar with the plans.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, local law enforcement leaders and elected officials will also be at the meeting, according to the person. Biden will be discussing his call for channeling federal funding to help cities and states fight a nationwide spike in violent crime.

Politico: Adams to meet with Biden Monday for gun violence discussion
But when asked what he would propose in terms of national gun reforms, Adams didn't endorse a complete ban on handguns, instead proposing a crackdown on gun dealers and lax gun laws in states across the country.

"Let's look at those particular gun dealers where there's a real correlation and connection with the guns that are used in our streets, those who are — those states with lax gun laws, where you can walk into a gun shop with a license and walk out with the gun," he said. "Let's look at all of the feeders of how guns are making their way into our cities."

Chicago Sun Times: Biden to discuss gun violence with Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, NYC's Eric Adams, others on Monday
President Joe Biden, developing strategies to curb gun violence, on Monday will meet with Chicago Police Supt. David Brown; D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser; Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor; and other local officials, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

[...]

On Sunday, Adams, on CNN's "State of the Union" told host Jake Tapper that national Democrats' priorities have been misplaced when it comes to gun laws and praised Biden for stating "that it is time for us to stop ignoring what is happening in the South Sides of Chicago, in the Brownsvilles, in the Atlantas of our country."

San Jose Mercury News: San Jose mayor to attend White House meeting on gun violence
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo is scheduled to attend a White House meeting Monday that will highlight ways to reduce gun violence just weeks after a horrific mass shooting at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority railyard stunned the Bay Area.

"We had nine families and many friends and loved ones who are still hurting from the latest tragedy," Liccardo told the Bay Area News Group on Sunday. "This president knows something about personal tragedy and how it shapes one's commitment to action."

[...]

The White House meeting is part of the administration's ongoing efforts to change the conversation in a heated political climate.

Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis will meet
Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis, a month into her tenure, will visit the White House Monday, according to a White House official.

[...]

Davis' visit to the White House follows the federal government giving Memphis more financial resources to fight crime. In June, the Biden administration announced that Memphis and other cities could use stimulus funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to hire more police officers or give existing officers bonuses.

FOX13 News Memphis: President Biden meets with Memphis Police Chief on efforts to reduce crime
President Joe Biden is slated to meet with Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis on efforts to reduce violent crime, according to the Associated Press.

The President will host city and law enforcement leaders from across the country to talk about efforts to reduce crime.

[...]
Davis previously released a statement on Biden's plan for more funding to help crime prevention efforts.
In the statement, Davis said the funds will enhance recruitment strategies, overtime costs, youth programs, training and more.

WMC Action News 5: Memphis Police chief, President Biden discuss crime reduction
With crime trending upward in the Bluff City, Washington D.C. is taking notice.

Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis is meeting with President Biden Monday to discuss reducing crime.

The president is meeting with city and law enforcement leaders across the country to discuss the issue -- a problem that's plaguing America.

[...]

President Biden recently announced a plan that would focus on providing funding to cities that need more police, offer community support and crack down on gun violence.

WREG: Memphis Police chief, other leaders to meet with President Biden to discuss crime reduction
President Joe Biden is set to meet with several city mayors and law enforcement leaders from all over the United States to discuss reducing crime nationwide. Newly appointed Memphis Police chief CJ Davis will have a seat at the table.

[...]

Last month, WREG told you about the White House's plan to allow the city of Memphis to use money from the Covid-19 stimulus bill to combat gun violence. Chief Davis responded to that announcement with a statement, in part, "we look forward to utilizing these funds to enhance recruitment strategies, overtime costs for crime reduction initiatives, youth programs, training, and more."