Biden Discusses Crime Surge with Police and Community Leaders

President Joe Biden on Monday met with a group of law enforcement officials, community groups and state and local leaders, including New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams, to discuss his plan to address a nationwide surge in violent crime.

During the meeting at the White House, Biden encouraged communities to use the $350 billion for states included in the Covid-19 relief plan passed by Congress in March to hire police officers and put in place new crime prevention programs, and said he wanted to hear from local leaders directly about what the federal government can do, NBC News reports.

"Most of my career has been dealing with this issue — it's not a 'one size fits all' approach," Biden said.

The meeting comes amid a rise in gun violence over the past few years. One of Biden's weakest areas in recent polling has been his handling of crime, with just 38 percent of people approving of the job he is doing in that area and 48 percent disapproving.