Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced a new initiative to combat violence and boost public safety by pledging federal resources to help 12 cities fight crime.

The new federal effort came ahead of Sessions' speech at the opening of the National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety outside of Washington, reports the Washington Examiner.

"Turning back the recent troubling increase of violent crime in our country is a top priority of the Department of Justice and the Trump administration, as we work to fulfill the president's promise to make America safe again," Sessions said in a statement.

The initiative will start with 12 cities joining the Justice Department's newly formed National Public Safety Partnership, dubbed "PSP." The new PSP program comes on the heels of President Trump's February executive order on public safety.

According to the Justice Department, the initial 12 cities are ones that need "significant assistance" in combating "gun crime, drug trafficking and gang violence."

The initial 12 cities to be included in the PSP program are Baton Rouge, LA; Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Jackson, TN; Kansas City, MO; Lansing, MI; Memphis, TN; Springfield, IL; Toledo, OH. More cities are expected to be announced in the coming months, the Justice Department said.