The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is launching a new effort to combat a spike in violent crime, specifically targeting the Twin Cities area.

The new changes will allow all federal prosecutors in the office to take on and try violent crime cases. Additionally, the law enforcement agency is hiring more persecutors to assist with the workload.

“Violent crime is at an all-time high in the Twin Cities. We have before us an urgent task. Every Minnesotan deserves the right to live safely and securely, without fear of shootings, carjackings, and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “This new strategy is designed to bring swift justice to our communities and to the victims of violent crimes. But it is also designed as a signal to violent offenders to stop. This violence cannot continue – it is causing far too much fear, too much pain and too much heartbreak for families and our community.”

Related to the spike, the City of St. Paul announced a $3.75 million grant from the DOJ to hire additional police officers to increase public safety.

However, Republicans have previously blamed the DOJ and Democrats in the state for lenient actions on crime. Earlier this year, Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman David Hann slammed the DOJ for its light sentence recommendations for individuals who participated in the 2020 riots.

“President Biden’s Justice Department asked for a light sentence for this dangerous criminal because his violent act occurred in support of the Democrats’ political agenda. This is completely unacceptable and Democrats at every level need to denounce this behavior. Violence has no place in our political discourse. President Biden’s DFL allies – from Dean Phillips and Angie Craig to Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Ellison and more – need to answer; do they agree that violence is an acceptable form of political expression?”

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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Minnesota Rioters” by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.