CHICAGO (TND) — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pleaded to the federal government for additional law enforcement resources on Monday to crack down on rampant crime, despite supporting measures to defund her city's police just last year.

A rampant crime crisis in major U.S. cities is causing progressive mayors who previously proposed dramatically reducing their city’s police budgets to reverse course and now portray a tough-on-crime stance.

Amid the anti-police protesting in 2020, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pledged to cut $80 million from her city’s police budget, according to InjusticeWatch, but on Monday, she publicly pleaded for federal law enforcement agents to come to her city to help crack down on illegal guns.

More can and must be done that requires additional resources and help from our federal partners,” Lightfoot said during a Monday news briefing on public safety. “CPD always needs and works with partners at all levels. And I must again publicly thank the U.S. Attorney’s office, federal law enforcement agencies like the ATF, DEA, FBI and others.

During the briefing, Lightfoot said she formally asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to deploy agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to help her city crack down on illegal guns over the next six months.

“We cannot continue to endure the level of violence that we are now experiencing,” Lightfoot added. “I feel the urgency every day.”

Even though Chicago is still far away from its 1970 record of 964 killings, the city is currently the deadliest in the nation, according to The New York Post. Additionally, at least a dozen cities have seen more murders this year than ever before, The Post added.

In her news briefing, Lightfoot also requested more federal marshals to help local law enforcement find and arrest “thousands” of wanted individuals who are still on the streets.

We need these additional resources well in advance of next summer,” she said. “Right now, today, there are simply too many violent people walking our streets and wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods.

Monday was not the first time Lightfoot has reversed course this year on her approach to public safety. In October, she spoke at a graduation ceremony for police recruits and newly promoted officers, expressing sympathy for the new challenges they face as a result of widespread and harsh criticism stemming from the spate of anti-police protests in 2020, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. She indicated to them that she will “never yield” to those seeking to defund the police.

“Our residents are desperate for your help and your support,” Lightfoot urged the officers during the ceremony. “They want more police — not less police. We are not a city and will never be a city that bows to those arguing for de-funding. That’s not who we are. And that’s not what our residents want.”

Similarly, San Francisco Mayor London Breed last year redirected $120 million away from the city’s police budget and into social spending. Yet, she also reversed course, vowing in a speech earlier this month to end “the reign of criminals who are destroying our city.”

“And it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement,” Breed continued, “more aggressive with the changes in our policies and less tolerant of all the bulls*** that has destroyed our city.”

The National Desk reached out to the offices of Lightfoot and Breed but did not hear back before publication. This story will be updated if a response is provided.