[JURIST] US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official profile; JURIST news archive] Tuesday identified increasing financial costs in the war on terrorism as the reason that additional federal funding for local and state law enforcement is not forthcoming. Mayors and police chiefs for several US cities have criticized the lack of federal spending on law enforcement at the state and local level, citing the Preliminary Annual Crime Report [FBI press release] released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [official website] in June. The report indicated a 2.5 percent increase in violent crimes across the nation, which is the largest jump since 1991. Responding to their concerns, Gonzales did suggest that law enforcement could expect greater support from federal enforcement agencies.

The FBI has so far declined to confirm whether the increase in violent crime represents a typical annual increase or an irregular jump in crime signalling a deeper problem with law enforcement. AP has more.