To Biden "Defund the Cops" Means Hire More Cops. Says $350B in Covid Aid is to Prevent Crime [as opposed to Cops targeting/surveilling Law Abiding Black People under the Guise of catching criminals]
/From [HERE] President Biden laid out his crime-prevention strategy Wednesday amid a rise in gun violence in many cities, as Republicans seek to tie the increase in crime to calls for cuts to police departments.
Mr. Biden emphasized that state and local officials in areas experiencing surges in gun violence can use $350 billion in Covid-19 relief funding to hire more law-enforcement personnel, even if it raises the total number beyond its pre-pandemic level.
They also can use that money to invest in programs that try to identify and mediate potentially violent conflicts. The administration will work with 14 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore and Detroit, that are increasing investments in such programs, known as community violence intervention.
“It means more police officers, more nurses, more counselors, more social workers or community violence interrupters to help resolve issues before they escalate into crimes,” Mr. Biden said.
The Labor Department will use existing funding for summer workforce development programs for young people and will help connect formerly incarcerated people with jobs, administration officials said. The Justice Department will take additional steps to crack down on gun trafficking and revoke licenses for gun dealers who willfully violate federal law.
“We will make sure you can’t sell death and mayhem on our streets,” Mr. Biden said.
Administration officials said cities can use funds from the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package passed in March for law enforcement because the administration views the rise in gun violence as a secondary impact of the pandemic. The administration had previously told cities they could use the funds to retain public employees, including police officers, but hadn’t encouraged them to add law enforcement personnel.