U.S. Attorney’s Office Cracks Down on Domestic Violence, Virginia Beach VA, 2023

NORFOLK, Va. – In a move aimed at reducing intimate partner firearm violence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Norfolk has partnered with local authorities in the South Hampton Roads jurisdiction to develop a plan to combat domestic violence offenders.

According to a statement from the Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia have been designated for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. The South Hampton Roads jurisdiction, which includes Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, has been designated as one of these communities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions, will work with local stakeholders to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.

Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders, including rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g).

The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as they continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All U.S. Attorney’s Offices, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the U.S. Attorney General’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.

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