[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 105 (Wednesday, August 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          PASS THE CRIME BILL

  (Mr. BERMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the crime bill conference report provides us 
the opportunity to take tough and effective action on a problem of 
great concern to all of us: Violent crime and its consequences for our 
quality of life in this country.
  I am appalled by the rising rate of violent crime. It makes me angry 
that our parks have become off-limits, that increasing numbers of our 
elderly residents are afraid to venture out of their homes, that women 
find their freedom restricted, that many of us forsake modern 
conveniences like ATM machines, not to speak of the pleasure of 
strolling in our own neighborhoods.
  I am especially saddened that children--and their parents--can no 
longer enjoy peace of mind about the safety of our schools.
  I am absolutely convinced that the single most effective step we can 
take to confront this problem is to put more cops on the beat in our 
communities. H.R. 3355 does that to the tune of an additional 100,000 
police officers nationally, a full 20-percent increase in the Nation's 
police force levels.
  Nothing prevents crime quite so well as the likelihood of being 
caught. But in so many of our communities around the country, that 
likelihood is very slim, and both the law-abiding and the law-breakers 
know it. That is why criminals act with impunity, and the rest of us 
are plain scared. Putting 100,000 new cops on the street is the single 
most effective way to start turning that around.
  The first obligation of government is to ensure the safety and 
security of its citizens. By returning tax dollars to our communities 
to fund the hiring of an additional 100,000 police officers, we are 
making a major stride toward ending the scourge of crime in America.
  I urge my colleagues to support the crime bill conference report and 
the rule for its consideration.

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