U.S. attorney for Minnesota convenes a multiagency task force focused on surging Twin Cities violence

U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald is mobilizing a multiagency command center for a new task force aimed at curbing "an extraordinary spike" in violence in the Twin Cities that has been on the rise since Memorial Day.

MacDonald on Wednesday outlined a 30-day operation that will deploy state and federal law enforcement across a dozen agencies in response to a spike in gun violence and other crimes in the months since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody.

Officials have attributed the surge in bloodshed to diminished public trust after Floyd's killing and unrest amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has now dragged on for more than four months.

"The goal of this Task Force is not to flood our communities with law enforcement, but rather, to leverage law enforcement's collective resources to allow for focused and effective enforcement actions," MacDonald said in a statement Wednesday. "Bringing safety and security back to our cities requires collaboration, and we need law enforcement, city leaders and community members all working together toward the common goal of bringing an end to this violence."

The task force will zero in on crimes involving firearms, such as shootings, robberies, carjackings and drug trafficking. Illegal gun possession will also be a target. Officials from each agency will be stationed in a central command center and be evaluated after 30 days to determine whether to continue operations.