— Declaring that a "a new era of justice begins," President Donald Trump signed three executive orders on Thursday that he said were intended to reduce crime.
"I'm signing three executive actions today designed to restore safety in America," Trump said in the Oval Office shortly after his new Attorney General, former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, was sworn into office.
Through his presidential campaign Trump frequently cast himself as a "law and order" candidate who would reduce crime in cities like Baltimore and Chicago – without articulating his plans to do so. Late last month he warned city officials in Chicago that they needed to address their crime or he would "send in the feds."
Details of the executive orders were not clear because the White House had not yet provided the text of the documents. Trump told reporters one of the orders would create a task force on reducing violent crime and that another would instruct the Department of Justice to implement a plan to stop crime against law enforcement officers.
A third, Trump said, would "break the back of the criminal cartels that have spread across our nation and are destroying the blood of our youth."
City officials in Baltimore, meanwhile, are reacting to an increase in homicides. Forty-two people were killed in the first 39 days of the year — more than twice as many as in the same period in 2016.
Maryland Democrats rose to the defense of Baltimore on Friday after Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump spoke of violence in the city during his acceptance speech at the GOP convention.
Trump cited a 60 percent increase in killings in Baltimore last year. Homicides are down 7 percent...
Maryland Democrats rose to the defense of Baltimore on Friday after Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump spoke of violence in the city during his acceptance speech at the GOP convention.
Trump cited a 60 percent increase in killings in Baltimore last year. Homicides are down 7 percent...
More than 112 people have been shot.
Mayor Catherine Pugh said earlier this week that the city's crime-fighting strategy has not been sufficient to stem the killings, and her administration is searching for solutions.
Last fall, Trump called for an expanded use of stop-and-frisk, a tactic that has been controversial in Baltimore and that a federal court in New York found unconstitutional.
At the time, Trump pointed to New York City's experience with the policy, saying it worked "incredibly well." The practice was later largely abandoned by New York officials.
"I would do stop and frisk. I think you have to," Trump said in response to a question from an African American audience member about what he would do as president to stop violence in the black community.
After an unusually bitter confirmation battle, Jeff Sessions was confirmed as U.S. attorney general.
After an unusually bitter confirmation battle, Jeff Sessions was confirmed as U.S. attorney general.
If the state keeps sending water down the spillway, it will worsen the damage. (Feb. 9, 2017)
If the state keeps sending water down the spillway, it will worsen the damage. (Feb. 9, 2017)
"We did it in New York, it worked incredibly well. You have to be proactive," Trump said to applause. "I think stop-and-frisk — in New York City it was so incredible the way it worked."
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