CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, along with other U.S. mayors, sent a letter to President Joe Biden seeking assistance with the increased gun violence seen in Cleveland and other cities across the country.
Through May 29, homicides in Cleveland were up 29% over the same period a year ago while felonious assaults with guns were up 56%.
In the letter, the mayors commended the efforts of the Department of Justice to address gun violence—such as the proposed rules to stop the growing number of "ghost guns" and weapon modifications, the outlining of what red flag law could look like and the focus on gun violence intervention efforts, among others.
While the mayors praised the efforts that have been made so far, they outlined other ways in which Biden and the federal government could help at the local level to further address gun violence in the U.S.
Some of the suggestions Jackson and the other mayors noted in the letter to Biden included focusing on the mental health aspect of gun violence and establishing federal-level gun control legislation to eliminate loopholes for individuals who have demonstrated a history of mental illness or other disqualifying conditions from getting a gun outside of city limits where restrictions are in place.
"We need universal background checks and closure of simple loopholes, a ban on assault weapons, and policies that keep guns out of the hands of people who are dangerous to themselves and others as well as promote gun safety," one bullet point in the letter reads.
Jackson signed the letter along with 26 other U.S. mayors including Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and others.
To read the full letter click here.
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