Every American deserves the freedom to feel safe in their community. Since Vice President Harris and I took office, America has become safer. According to preliminary data in two new reports, violent crime continued to fall to historic lows in the first half of 2024. One report from the University of Chicago shows 'unprecedented' declines in crime across multiple categories, including homicides and motor vehicle thefts, across more than 40 cities. Another report, from the Council on Criminal Justice, found that homicides decreased by 13%, motor vehicle theft fell by 18%, and violent crime fell overall in more than two dozen cities.
This progress is no accident. After the largest increase in murders ever recorded during the previous Administration, my Administration got to work protecting the American people. My American Rescue Plan - which every Republican voted against - delivered more than $15 billion to cities to hire and retain more cops, invest in community violence interventions, and keep communities safe. My Administration took dozens of actions to reduce gun violence and I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, the most significant gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years.
There is more work to do. I will continue fighting for funding for 100,000 additional police officers and crime prevention and community violence intervention programs. And I will continue to call for Congress to ban assault weapons and keep guns out of dangerous hands.
