via thecentersquare:
(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden unveiled a major gun regulation and crime prevention plan Wednesday as cities around the country struggle with rising violent crime.
Amid the wave of violence nationwide, Biden released a plan for more gun control measures and called on local governments to hire more police officers, a departure in rhetoric from some in his party who have pressured local municipalities to “defund” or cut back on police.
“But what I would say to you is that the President has never supported defunding the police,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a Wednesday news briefing. “He’s always supported community policing programs. He’s supported giving funding to – to states and localities around the country, including through his American Rescue Plan, because he thinks there is an essential role to play for community policing.”
Biden’s plan comes as violent crime steadily rises.
“Homicides were up 24% during the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2020, and up 49% compared to the first quarter of 2019,” Zack Smith, a legal expert at the Heritage Foundation, said. “Unfortunately, many of the Biden administration’s proposed solutions, such as banning assault weapons – a category of weapons his own nominee to be ATF director had difficulty defining – and banning high-capacity magazines are political moves designed to please his base, but which will do little to make communities safer.”
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