WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Justice Department plans to send additional law enforcement resources to help Washington, D.C., battle the perpetrators of violent crime and carjackings, the department said on Friday.

“This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Violent crime in Washington increased by 39% from 2022 to 2023, with a 67% increase in robberies and a 35% rise in homicides, according to police department statistics.

The same period saw an 82% increase in car thefts and a 175% rise in arson, according to the police department.

The additional federal resources a data analytics tool called a Gun Violence Analytic Cell, which is led by the FBI with partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration, it said. That will help police identify additional federal investigations that should be opened to fight violent crime and carjackings.

The Justice Department will also provide federal prosecutors to work on violent crime cases in the district, it said.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Franklin Paul)