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Tennessee Senators introduce act to reduce crime

From Local 3 News: Tennessee's two U.S. Senators are addressing the increase in crime that is happening all across the country and in the state.

From Local 3 News: Tennessee’s two U.S. Senators are addressing the increase in crime that is happening all across the country and in the state.

Compared to 2019, some of the United State’s largest cities have seen a 50% increase in homicides and a 36% increase in aggravated assaults.

The increase in crime has led United States Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty to introduce the Restore Law and Order Act.

Blackburn said the act will increase resources to state and local law enforcement agencies to help them combat violent crime.

“Our bill will establish a federal grant program to hire more police officers and detectives focused on violent crime such as rape, murder, and carjacking,” Blackburn said.

Another component of the act will have the U.S. Government Accountability Office study the length of time it takes rape kits to get processed in Tennessee.

This comes in light of Eliza Fletcher’s alleged killer being connected to a rape that happened a year prior.

“It took a year for Memphis Police to receive the results and have the rape kit processed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Tragically, the rape kit was returned the same day that Fletcher’s body was discovered with DNA allegedly matching Fletcher’s killer,” Blackburn said.

Senator Bill Hagerty is leading a letter to President Biden asking him to get on board and help fight the ongoing crime wave.

“The letter that we sent this week to Biden encourages him and we are ready to work with him to step up, and address this problem, to use some of the tried-and-true principals that have already worked,” Hagerty said.

Hagerty believes the crimes will continue to rise if leaders don’t take charge immediately.

“Memphis saw a record high this past year alone. We have to step up and do something about this and we’ve had an administration that prioritizes anything but dealing with crime,” Hagerty said.