In mid-June, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to Combat Violent Crime. The PSP was developed in response to the Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, which directed the development of a task force that will reduce violent crime and provide U.S. communities with safety and security, as well as “developing policies that comprehensively address illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime.”

The PSP builds on the Violence Reduction Network (VRN) concept and allows DOJ to consult and coordinate with cities to provide “training and technical assistance and an array of [other] resources… to enhance local violence reduction strategies.” The framework developed from this program allows the DOJ to assist law enforcement “in the investigation, prosecution, and deterrence of violent crime.”