WASHINGTON – Attorney General William Barr declared a public safety "emergency" in Alaska on Friday, directing more than $10 million in immediate law enforcement aid to largely rural communities ravaged by domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The federal declaration, the first of its kind for Alaska, comes as the state grapples with the highest per capita crime rate in the United States. Barr visited the state last month, meeting with local authorities and crime victims.

"I witnessed first-hand the complex, unique and dire law enforcement challenges the state of Alaska and its remote Alaska native communities are facing," Barr said. "With this emergency declaration, I am directing resources where they are needed most and needed immediately."

Earlier this week, USA TODAY detailed the staggering level of violence directed against women in Alaska, where 59% of adult women have experienced domestic violence, sexual abuse or both in their lifetimes; and where child sexual assault is nearly six times the national average. Of those victimized, nearly 30% had no access to help.

As part of the directive, the attorney general also ordered the FBI and other Justice Department components to submit plans within the next 30 days to further support the federal effort.

"Lives depend on it, and we are committed to seeing a change in this unacceptable, daily reality for Alaska native people," the attorney general said.

More:Alaska is the most dangerous state in the U.S. for women

While the bulk of the federal aid will fund the hiring of new officers, training and equipment, federal officials said state authorities also will be able to apply for a portion of $167 million set aside for crime victim services. The money would pay for temporary shelters, rape crisis services, elder abuse programs and advocates for children.

Alaska has struggled for years with violent crime, specifically domestic and sexual abuse, but Justice officials said Barr was personally drawn to the issue after discussions with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak., around the time of his Senate confirmation earlier this year.

Katie Sullivan, who oversees Justice's grant-making arm at the Office of Justice Programs, characterized the federal delegation's Alaskan visit as "life changing," where local authorities recounted a scourge of violence in which women and children are often the primary victims.

Law enforcement emergencies are declared, according to federal law, when "state and local resources are insufficient to protect the lives and property of citizens or to enforce criminal law."

At least four such declarations have been issued in the past three years, including in the aftermath of the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, where 58 people were shot to death by a single gunman; and following the 2018 Santa Fe, Texas high school shooting that left 10 dead.