Trump administration declares emergency in violence-plagued rural Alaska

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks at the FBI National Academy Graduation Ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, U.S., June 7, 2019 REUTERS/Tom Brenner

ANCHORAGE (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday declared a public-safety emergency in rural Alaska and pledged $10.5 million (8.27 million pounds) in federal funds to combat some of the nation's worst rates of sexual assault, child abuse and other violent crimes.

Barr's announcement followed a visit to Alaska last month, where the country's top law enforcement official was told about extraordinary high rates of rape and domestic violence and a lack of police officers.