Attorney General Merrick Garland returned to his home town of Chicago on Thursday to launch gun trafficking strike forces as part of a fresh effort to tackle surging violent crime.
The city has been badly hit by gun crime - police said just last weekend 11 people were shot dead and a further 45 were wounded - and the visit will be dismissed in some quarters as just another policy announcement.
But officials say the strike forces being set up in five cities are designed to get to the root of the country's firearm problems by launching targeted prosecutions of traffickers and dealers that will have a long-term impact by stopping weapons reaching criminals.
The five are are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C., as well as Chicago.
'All too often, guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away,' said Garland ahead of the trip.
'We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes.
'All too often, guns found at crime scenes come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away,' said Attorney General Merrick Garlandas as he announced five strike forces to tackle the availability of illegal firearms
Police investigate a shooting in Lawndale on Chicago's West Side on July 21. Officers said 11 people were killed by guns last weekend as homicides surge across the country
President Biden last month announced plan to crack down on firearms dealers but will also let states and cities use $350 billion in COVID relief to hire more cops amid surging violent crime
'These strike forces enable