U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant has announced that more than $2 million in Department of Justice grants are headed to the Western District of Tennessee to help prevent violent crime. The grants come from a $458 million support pledge from Attorney General William Barr to help in supporting local, state, and tribal law in enforcement efforts to combat violent crime.
“One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law,” said Barr. “The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans.”
The funding is a part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to combat violent crime and improve public safety nationwide. Upon taking office, the President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row.
To date, funding from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has gone to Operation Relentless Pursuit, Project Guardian, and Operation LeGend.
“We are thankful to Attorney General Barr for providing these additional OJP grant resources to combat violent gun crime in Memphis, and we will continue to coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to use these resources to effectively target the real crime drivers in Memphis and Shelby County: gangs, guns, and drugs.”