Washington, DC–Yesterday, the Department of Justice canceled hundreds of grants that support a range of local public safety initiatives that prevent violent crime. This comes at a time when cities nationwide are making great progress in reducing crime. According to the FBI’s most recent report violent crime decreased by 10.3%, murder by 22.7% from January-June 2024 compared with the same period in the previous year. Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) President Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and USCM Mayors and Police Chiefs Task Force Co-Chairs Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley:
“In recent years we have made considerable progress in reducing violent crime in our cities and our nation. As a result, our cities and our residents are safer. Mayors know that there are many factors responsible for this progress, and that prominent among them are concerted efforts to prevent violent crime before it occurs.
“Many of the grant terminations announced by the Department of Justice yesterday support these crime prevention efforts. Canceling these initiatives threatens the great progress mayors and police chiefs–working together with their communities–have made in addressing the root causes of violence. And it jeopardizes our continuing efforts to reduce violent crime in our cities.
“We urge the Justice Department to reconsider these termination decisions and to reinstate the grants.”