The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday funding for a new initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. The DOJ says it is steering $1.6 billion towards addressing a “range of public safety challenges,” according to a department press release. “The Department of Justice is committed to supporting our state and local partners to combat crime across the country,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “This latest round of funding will deliver critical public safety resources helping public safety professionals, victim service providers, local agencies, and nonprofit organizations confront these serious challenges.” These grants are meant to help support the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, announced in May, and to advance President Joe Biden’s Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety, released in June. The awards are coming from the Justice Department’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) …