In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Sullivan called battling violent crime the No. 1 priority of ATF and said the agency is trying to help cities with federal task forces and technology. But Sullivan also said that many cities no longer have the police manpower to respond to calls as quickly as they once did.
The most recent crime data also indicates, however, that the overall number of violent crimes are on the downswing after increasing during the previous two years.
