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AG Sessions Promotes 'Project Safe Neighborhoods' As Key To Stopping Violent Crime

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The aggressive quest to reverse a recent climb in violent crimes comes to Philadelphia. The nation's top law enforcer pushes his goals for fighting crime to an audience of police chiefs from across the nation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is touting "Project Safe Neighborhoods" as the key to stopping violent criminals.

The program has been around for more than a decade, and has been proven to work Sessions says. But it is being revamped to work even better by providing a flexible framework that can be adapted to local needs.

"Our goal is to reduce crime, our goal is to make every community safer, especially the most vulnerable," Sessions said.

To help accomplish that, Sessions is giving this directive to District Attorneys from coast to coasts.

"Target and prioritize prosecutions of the most violent people in the most violent areas," he said.

Law enforcement officials are also getting a pledge from the Attorney General that the U.S. will not concede a single block or street corner to lawlessness or crime.

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