December 19, 11

NEWS / Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the 2011 Preliminary Uniform Crime Report

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder today issued the following statement on the release of the FBI’s Preliminary Uniform Crime Report showing a continued decrease in violent crime nationwide. The results show that the number of violent crimes reported in the first six months of 2011 declined 6.4 percent when compared with figures from the first six months of 2010.



“Safe neighborhoods are the underpinning of our nation’s prosperity, and this Department of Justice has made protecting the American people from violent crime a top priority. The results of the 2011 Preliminary Uniform Crime Report show that the decline in violent crime in recent years continued in the first half of 2011.



“Working with our state, local and tribal partners, federal prosecutors and agents have increased community participation in our shared efforts to hold accountable those whose illegal activity spread fear into our communities. We have targeted violent criminals involved in gang-related activity from Florida to California, organized crime networks in cities across this country and drug trafficking organizations that extend beyond our borders.



“Ensuring that law enforcement has the necessary resources is critical to continuing our aggressive fight against violent crime. Although we can all be encouraged that violent crime rates continue to decline nationwide, it is clear that we must remain vigilant and more work remains to be done. In recent months, we have seen an alarming spike in law enforcement fatalities and the number of line-of-duty law enforcement deaths. This is appalling and unacceptable. And it is why we will continue making investments to provide life-saving equipment, training and information-sharing capabilities to our courageous men and women in the field.



“We also recognize that enforcement alone will not prevent every future crime, which is why we’ve launched initiatives in communities across this country to fight recidivism and support reentry programs. We will continue to support our state, local and tribal partners and to implement the tough, smart policing policies that we know make a difference in the fight against violent crime."

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/December/11-ag-1666.html