In a visit to Minneapolis on Monday, federal law enforcement and government officials expected to end the year with a significant decrease in violent crime in more than 150 major cities.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers, leaders and other local, state and federal government partners came together to mark ten years of a nationwide partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice to bolster resources to solve and reduce violent crime in cities where it’s most prevalent.

The Minneapolis Police Department was awarded a spot in the National Public Safety Partnership in 2023 and was in the spotlight for this year’s summit.

“We are beyond honored to have you here in our city,” Mayor Jacob Frey said, beginning his remarks.

There was an air of pride in the hotel ballroom, particularly for the sea of officers in baby blue.

“The men and women who toughed it out over these dark few years are heroes,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said, addressing them.

Violent crime is down overall in 2024 — including shootings, particularly on the Northside, Chief O’Hara reported.

Local and federal officials alike — including U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew Luger –largely credited the recent partnership for historic racketeering charges brought against more than 100 alleged gang members in Minneapolis since spring 2023.

“And, I want you to keep in mind that while people were able to drive crime down, they’ve done it with incredibly reduced numbers of police officers…” said Bureau of Justice Assistance Director for the U.S. Department of Justice Karhlton Moore.

Statewide, Luger said federal partners also helped trace guns that were allegedly used by a convicted felon in a Burnsville mass shooting that killed two police officers and a firefighter paramedic.

“Within weeks, we had the answers. We had charges,” he said.

On the flip side, homicides are up in Minneapolis in 2024, O’Hara said. With weeks left in the year, he said there have been 73 homicides versus 72 at year-end in 2023. The statistic includes criminal homicides, murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases, the Chief explained.

“There have been 10 people murdered this year at a homeless encampment or immediately around one,” he said. “And it’s been a challenging year across the board.”

RELATED: 2 dead, 1 seriously injured following 2nd fatal encampment shooting in as many days

Looking to the year ahead, some uncertainty swirled in the room, as several federal officials speaking at the summit, including Luger, will likely soon be replaced under the incoming president’s administration.

The chief and mayor surprised him with an award for his service during the opening ceremony.

“There may be, and I know there are, of course, differences of opinions on firearms policy-related matters, but ATF’s violent crime mission is nonpartisan and is popular from sea to shining sea,” assured the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steven Dettelbach.

“We are starting to see a decline in violent crime here, nowhere near enough, but we are starting to see it,” Luger said, beginning to conclude his remarks.

“…But just because we’re improving, and just because we’re moving on up that grade ladder, we should never stop, and we should never slow down until we are the city that I moved to in 1992, the city where violent crime was not a topic of conversation, and the next U.S. Attorney, or U.S. Attorneys, can do other things and not make everybody in the office do gun cases, as I have.”