Increased Violence Is Said To Result From Poorer Cities
By LARA JAKES JORDAN,
WASHINGTON — Violent crime has increased in some cities in recent years in part because local police are too cash-strapped to fight it, the chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said yesterday.
The comments by Michael Sullivan, acting director of the ATF, echo pleas by mayors across the country for more federal dollars to combat crime.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Mr. Sullivan called battling violent crime the priority of ATF and said the agency is trying to help cities with federal task forces and technology. He also said many cities no longer have the police manpower to respond to calls as quickly as they once did.
"Some of these jurisdictions that have seen an uptick with regard to violent crime — it's coming at a time when their budgets have been pretty strapped," Mr. Sullivan told the AP.
"In fact, some of the jurisdictions have seen a decrease with regard to patrol officers who are available ... to follow up on some of these incidents," he said.
