President Joe BidenFriday’s call for states and cities was to utilize federal funds to help curb crime.

Later in the day, the president will speak and request that local leaders use the American Rescue Plan money, which is the Biden administration’s $1.9 billion Covid-19 stimulus law to combat crime.

Senior administration officials said that $10 billion has already been used by local governments to improve law enforcement, and to fund programs to make neighborhoods safer.

Biden is trying to make an effort in an election year that’s crucial for his Democratic Party to address crime concerns. According to Gallup, fear about violence and crime in America reached its highest point since 2016, in April. 53% Americans say that they are concerned about lawbreaking.

Residents in cities are more concerned about crime than ever. Up 9 percentage points, urban residents now worry more about crime than 2021, which is 58%.

Those polling trends are likely to be influenced by a dramatic increase in gun violence. The firearm homicide rate in 2020 roseAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tuesday’s report showed that this was its highest in quarter-century.

There are a variety of opinions among Democrats about how to create safer communities. Recent years saw progressives call for the reduction of police budgets throughout the country, in response to the high profile killings of Blacks by white officers.

Biden is one of the moderate Democrats who believes that better-trained police officers are key to safer neighborhoods. According to the White House, the president is calling for more police officers in order to ensure accountability and community policing.

In the midterm elections in 2022, where Democrats will be deciding whether to retain Congress control, the issue of reforming police departments is likely to play a major role. Many Republican candidates have found early success in polls through attacks on certain Democrats’ plans to gut police funding — which they view as dangerous.

Biden will be meeting Friday with chiefs of police, elected officials and community violence intervention experts representing U.S. municipalities that used American Rescue Plan funds for crime fighting.

White House stated that the president would then make comments and encourage investment from other cities.

According to the administration, “President Biden believes Americans have the right to feel safe wherever they are.” Biden is dedicated to using all tools at his disposal in order to stop violent crime.