Amid crime spike in US, Biden meets police chiefs

Shooting sprees in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia kill dozens during the weekend as US gun violence epidemic rages. United States President Joe Biden met with US city police chiefs, elected officials and a community intervention expert at the White House on Monday as his administration struggles to address a crime surge driven by rising gun violence in the US. “During the meeting, the president will discuss 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 support for community violence intervention programmes, summer employment opportunities, and other proven methods to reduce crime,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. Police chiefs from Chicago and US mid-size cities Memphis, Wilmington, and Newark also joined Biden with Attorney General Merrick Garland, the US’s top law enforcement official. White House officials say local communities around the country are using money from Biden’s COVID-19 rescue package to bolster summer programming, create job opportunities in at-risk communities, and fund community violence intervention programmes – all measures aimed at reducing gun violence.