The Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assigning seven more agents to work in the city, upping the total number of agents to 52, to “bring more resources to Chicago to combat some of the gun violence.”
Federal authorities have been discussing ways that FBI and other federal agents could help combat gun violence and street gangs – major reasons why Chicago led the nation in homicides in 2013.
A Department of Justice news release also says the FBI has temporarily assigned during the summer 20 agents to help the 100 agents already in Chicago.
In the release, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder linked the influx to a recent round-table discussion on youth violence that he participated in with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.