Congressional Record, Volume 140 Issue 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)

[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                DRUG CONTROL AND RURAL CRIME IN AMERICA

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, it is time for President Clinton to fight 
for what he says he believes.
  I call upon President Clinton to urge the Congress to support the 
tough anticrime provisions contained in the Senate bill. Several weeks 
ago, I wrote a letter to President Clinton urging him to call on the 
Congress to pass certain key provisions that are currently a part of 
the Senate crime bill. We cannot afford to have this crime bill follow 
the pattern of the last crime bill conference where, over the objection 
of several conferees, a majority of conferees adopted the softest, most 
liberal provisions passed by either body on a range of issues.
  I am concerned that, without President Clinton's strong, specific 
support and leadership, several worthy provisions will be jettisoned in 
conference or significantly weakened.
  Two examples of measures that need to be preserved are the Hatch-
Biden rural crime amendment and the Kempthorne-Hatch rural community 
policing amendment. These measures increase the amount and 
effectiveness of law enforcement resources in rural States. 
Respectively, they establish drug and crime task forces in rural States 
and ensure that rural States will get their fair share of the crime 
bill's $8.9 billion in community policing resources.
  According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, while murder rates 
in the District of Columbia and New York decreased in 1992, murder 
rates jumped in Utah and other rural States. In Utah, the violent crime 
rate per 100,000 persons, one of the best indicators of the severity of 
the crime problem, increased 1.3 percent.
  Utah has a growing gang problem. There are over 240 gangs in the Salt 
Lake City area with over 1,900 members.
  While crime overall in the Northeast actually declined by 5.9 percent 
in 1992, the situation in the rural West is much graver. In the 
intermountain West, the region which includes my State of Utah, the FBI 
reports that in 1992, the rate of violent crime increased by 2.7 
percent.
  These figures translate into a growing problem of violence and drug 
related crime in Utah and other more rural States. A recent survey of 
Utah residents found that Utahns rank crime as society's most severe 
problem.
  We simply have to get more law enforcement personnel into rural 
States and communities, Washington, DC, with a population of 589,000 
has 5,213 police officers. My State of Utah, with a population more 
than three times that of Washington DC--1.8 million versus 500,000--
actually has fewer police officers--we only have 2,979--than the 
District of Columbia. Utah has only 16 officers per 10,000 population. 
In contrast, the District of Columbia has 89 officers per 10,000--
nearly 3 times as many as almost every other jurisdiction. We need to 
get more officers to rural areas where the violent crime problem is 
increasing at a greater rate.
  The Senate-passed crime bill provides $8.9 billion over 5 years to 
hire additional police officers. Right off the top, however, the 
Attorney General takes 15 percent to distribute for discretionary 
programs. The remaining $7.6 billion is divided among the States. 
Thanks to an amendment I offered with Senator Kempthorne, the Senate 
bill protects rural States by ensuring that each State will get at 
least 0.6 percent of the money. Unfortunately, the House version of the 
community policing program only guarantees States 0.25 percent. I am 
concerned that without the strong support of the President, the crime 
bill conference will weaken the Senate bill's protection for rural 
States.

  In addition to an inadequate police presence, rural States have 
unique problems that make criminal investigations more difficult. For 
example, clandestine labs, especially methamphetamine--``ice''--labs, 
present a big problem for rural authorities. According to DEA 
officials, a major center for these labs is Utah. In an 11-month 
period, DEA busted 15 such labs. As I mentioned earlier, gangs are 
taking hold in rural areas. Unfortunately, there is a smaller Federal 
presence in rural States and there is little coordination of resources.
  In order to respond to this aspect of the problem, the Senate crime 
bill contains a Hatch-Biden amendment that provides a special Federal 
focus on crime in rural areas. For example, the legislation amends 
current State and local law enforcement grants program to authorize an 
additional $250 million in grants for rural States over 5 years. The 
Hatch-Biden amendment also authorizes an additional $100 million over 5 
years to hire additional DEA agents for drug investigations in rural 
and urban areas. The measure also improves the coordination of Federal 
agencies by directing the Attorney General to establish rural crime and 
drug enforcement task forces in every Federal judicial district that 
includes significant rural areas. Headed by the local U.S. attorneys, 
the task forces would include personnel from DEA, FBI, Customs, U.S. 
Park Police, U.S. Marshals, and State and local law enforcement. Our 
proposal also establishes a specialized training program at the Federal 
Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA, to teach police officers 
and sheriffs from rural agencies the most effective methods of 
conducting drug trafficking investigations.
  Mr. President, drugs, crime, and violence are national problems 
facing both urban and rural America. Unfortunately, the crime problems 
faced in rural America have been overlooked by Federal agencies in 
Washington. They have focused on the crime in more urban areas. Yet, 
the problems of rural States need greater Federal attention as well. 
The number of Federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents has been 
inadequate to handle the growing crime. Crime is like a cancer that 
must be treated wherever it invades our society.
  The protection of citizens is the first duty of government. If there 
is a place where additional Federal expenditures is warranted, it is to 
fight crime and violence in rural States. I urge President Clinton to 
announce his support for the Senate crime bill's protections for rural 
States. His endorsement of these measures will go a long way toward 
helping to put an end to the growth of crime and violence in rural 
America.
  Mr. DOLE addressed the Chair.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair would note the time 
between now and 9:30 is controlled by the Republican leader.
  Mr. DOLE. Was leader time reserved?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. It has been reserved.
  Mr. DOLE. I ask unanimous consent that I may use my leader time and 
it not be charged against the Republicans' time.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. Dole and Mr. Roth pertaining to the introduction 
of S. 1843 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on 
Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

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