By Jarrett Renshaw

(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to New York City on Thursday to highlight his administration’s efforts to curb gun violence and project a united front with Mayor Eric Adams after a series of violent crimes that has rattled the city.

Biden, along with U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland, will be making the trip to honor the two officers killed in a shooting while responding to 911 calls last month.

Police killings have been part of an increase in gun violence across the U.S. since the onset of the coronavirus epidemic in 2020.

The United States has more firearms than people and first-time buyer sales rose in 2020.

Democrats and the White House are responding to Republican allegations that they have a weak crime policy ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.

Biden will be promoting the five-part administration plan, which was unveiled in June to stop the flow of guns and increase police resources. A senior administration official stated that Biden will announce additional efforts such as targeting guns trafficking in the South to the Northeast United States and getting repeat offenders off the streets.

It is expected that the Justice Department will announce additional efforts to combat so-called ghost weapons, which are unregistered homemade weapons that cannot be traced.

A senior official from the administration stated that between January 2016 and the end of 2020, 23,906 suspect ghost guns were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This included 325 which were used in homicides or attempted murders.

The official stated that “the trend line is troubling.”

Biden will be first traveling to New York Police Headquarters to attend a meeting with the gun violence strategic partner, which meets five times a week for intelligence sharing and planning. To discuss prevention, he will go to school.

A senior official stated that the president was going to New York City to address the problem of gun violence in the city.

Biden will make his first visit to this country’s largest city since Adams was elected mayor in January. Adams, a former officer in the police force, has focused his campaign on public safety and expressed optimism that he could work with Biden.