LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was in Little Rock on Thursday as part of the Department of Justice’s plan to target violent crime across the country.
Garland visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, meeting with U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross and law enforcement officers at the local, state and federal levels.
US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland discusses progress of fighting violent crime in Arkansas
Speaking to the media ahead of the meeting, Garland touched on a report from the FBI on nationwide statistics that came out this week. Garland said the DOJ has been seeing results of their work across the country over the last three years.
“Earlier this month, the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Steering Committee received data from across 88 cities that indicates violent crime has continued to decline considerably in 2024,” the AG told those gathered in Little Rock. “That included a further 16.9% drop in murders.”
Garland added that the FBI’s report shows an 11.6% drop in homicides last year and one of the lowest violent crime rates in 50 years.