Trump's actions respond to past failures to address rising crime: White House

The White House has said President Donald Trump through his executive orders is responding to past failures to address rising crime, adding he has stood up for ensuring the safety of law enforcement officers.

Detailing three new orders, the statement said that President Trump's first executive order directs the newly installed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to develop a strategy to more effectively prosecute people, who engage in crimes against law enforcement officers.

Sessions will prosecute criminals, who target law enforcement officers to the fullest extent of the law and recommend new laws to protect those dedicating themselves to safeguarding our communities, said the statement, adding the Attorney General will evaluate the Department's grant programs to make sure they prioritize the protection and safety of law enforcement officers.

The second executive order establishes a task force, led by the new Attorney General, to reduce crime and restore public safety in communities across America as over the last eight years the country has suffered from a declining focus on law and order. Crime reduction will be a White House priority, said the statement.

The third executive order re-focuses the federal government's energy and resources on dismantling transnational criminal organizations such as drug cartels.

The statement said the administration will upgrade its information gathering about such transnational organizations and the order will improve the speed and efficiency of removing aliens who are cartel members or who aid cartels in their criminal activities.

The statement pointed that murders spiked in the largest single-year increase in nearly half a century in 2015. In 2016, murders in large cities increased by double digits. Last year in Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot.