City and federal law enforcement officials met in Columbus Friday behind closed doors to discuss strategies for how the agencies under the federal justice system can help reduce violent crime in central Ohio.
The director of the U.S. Marshals Service Ronald Davis met with Columbus Public Safety Director Robert Clark, along with other local and federal officials. Though the meeting was not open to the public, the participants discussed the meeting after.
The roundtable comes after Davis visited Cleveland last week and other cities recently plagued with gun violence for similar discussions.
“I wanted to see firsthand and hear firsthand, one of the best ways that the United States Marshals Service can assist not only this community, but as we work with communities all over the country," Davis said.
Daryl McCormack, the special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the agency is poised to help the city tackle gun violence. “We want to be laser focused using evidence based intelligence to go after that small percent of people who are committing a disproportionate amount of gun violence," he said.
Officials did not announce any new policies, but Clark said the meeting inspired him. "I think there's a lot more conversation for us to have, and certainly a lot more work for us to do."
