(CNN) The White House is encouraging state and local governments to use funding from the Covid relief package passed earlier this year to address a summer rise in violent crime as pandemic restrictions loosen nationwide. The memo detailed some of the best practices from the cities. The meeting comes as some Democrats seek to respond political attacks from former President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders painting the Democrats as weak on crime amid "Defund the Police" and "woke" rhetoric. New York Democratic mayoral primary winner Eric Adams was one of the leaders in attendance. Adams, the Brooklyn Borough president and a former NYPD captain, won his primary in part because of his tough-on-crime stance -- a message that many Democrats say could be critical for 2022 midterm election wins.

Source: CNN July 12, 2021 13:07 UTC