Federal crackdown aims to curb violent crime spike in NYC

By JIM MUSTIAN Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are cracking down on firearms cases in a bid to get stiffer sentences for criminals carrying illegal weapons. Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said Wednesday the initiative aims to curb a spike in shootings in New York City that he blamed on a “permissiveness” that has taken hold in the city amid the coronavirus pandemic and recent civil unrest. DuCharme says the initiative involves more than a dozen senior prosecutors. The crackdown comes amid a broader push by the federal government to intervene in states where it believes justice is not meted out at the local level.