WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned FBI Director James Comey at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about efforts to reduce violent crime in Wilmington.
“I'd be interested in hearing how you imagine or how you intend that the FBI will continue to assist local law enforcement in combatting unprecedented spikes in violent crime in a few of our communities, such as Wilmington, where they've happened,” said Senator Coons.
Video and audio available here.
Senator Coons’ Q&A, as delivered, is below:
Senator Coons: There are a lot of ways that the FBI helps state and local law enforcement. One I've been grateful for was the Violence Reduction Network through which the FBI provided much-needed assistance to the Wilmington Police Department--this is my hometown--where we've had a dramatic spike in violence. I'd be interested in hearing how you imagine or how you intend that the FBI will continue to assist local law enforcement in combatting unprecedented spikes in violent crime in a few of our communities, such as Wilmington, where they've happened.
FBI Director Comey: I thank you for that, senator. The VRN--the Violence Reduction Network--was piloted in Wilmington and a small number of other places, and we believe it works. Where the FBI brings to a fight that's primarily a state and local fight our technology, our intelligence expertise, figuring out how to connect the dots and which of the bad guys we should focus on, and then our enforcement, our agents, and their ability to make cases. So we're trying to do what we've done in Wilmington in cities around the country--those cities that are seeing spikes in violence and the depressing fact is about half of America's biggest cities saw another rise in violence the first quarter of this year, and so we're trying to lean forward and do what we've done in Wilmington in those places as well.
Senator Coons: We appreciate your efforts to support local law enforcement. Thank you, director.
###