[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 125 (Friday, August 26, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR FIGHTING CRIME

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                               speech of

                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Sunday, August 21, 1994

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I want to state my strong support for final 
passage of H.R. 3355, the Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1994. This 
historic anticrime measure represents a significant commitment to 
fighting violence in our local communities with a commonsense approach 
to punishment and prevention.
  Fighting crime requires putting the right tools in the hands of law 
enforcement officers and local governments. This bill does not provide 
a single magic bullet to solve all of the Nation's crime problems. 
Instead, the Omnibus Crime Control Act strengthens our Nation's arsenal 
in the war against crime in a comprehensive manner. This is a 
responsible anticrime bill that achieves a balance between the need to 
prevent crime and the need to ensure that criminals will be caught and 
punished when violent crimes are committed.
  This bill does just that by providing funds for hiring 100,000 police 
officers for community policing. A total of $8.8 billion is provided to 
provide grants to local communities who will be able to increase the 
presence of police officers to combat crime in local neighborhoods. 
This legislation also provides for educational assistance to train new 
police officers.
  Pennsylvania can expect over $370 million over the next 6 years in 
grant funds for local communities to hire new police officers. This 
would provide sufficient resources to hire nearly 5,000 additional 
police officers in the Commonwealth alone.
  I also am pleased to note that the final conference agreement 
provides local communities like the city of Pittsburgh the needed 
flexibility to use community policing funds both to hire new officers 
and to cover costs related to overtime, equipment, and new 
technological improvements.
  While the Omnibus Crime Control Act provides $9.9 billion for new 
prisons and boot camps for young offenders, this bill also recognizes 
the usefulness of crime prevention as a tool in the war on crime. 
Community policing has been a success in many neighborhoods around the 
country both because of its use in capturing violent criminals and its 
ability to deter crime. It makes sense to support this program because 
of its ability to prevent crime. Crime prevention can be far more cost-
effective than spending the thousands of dollars necessary to 
incarcerate a single individual.
  Crime prevention is a vital part of any strategy to reduce violent 
crime and turn America's youth away from the lures of gang activity. I 
am pleased that the final conference agreement still increases funding 
for crime prevention to $5.5 billion. This legislation will help the 
city of Pittsburgh and other communities in my congressional district 
reduce crime rates by initiating or expanding programs to provide local 
youth with a positive alternative to criminal activity.

  Local governments in Pennsylvania would have access to a wide range 
of grant funds for job training, education, and drug treatment. Grant 
funds will be available for local communities in Pennsylvania to 
provide After-School and In-School ``Safe Havens'' for at-risk 
children. Pennsylvania communities will also be able to apply for 
grants to support Boys and Girls Clubs, sports activities, and programs 
to reduce crime against children.
  The final Omnibus Crime Control Act also includes the ban on assault 
weapons approved by both the House and the Senate. Enactment of this 
legislation will show the Nation that reasonable men and women can take 
action to stem the availability of assault weapons. This bill bans the 
future manufacture or sale of 19 specific assault weapons, including 
the AK-47, the Uzi, the TEC-9, the Colt AR-15, and the street sweeper 
revolving cylinder shotgun. Also covered would be assault weapons which 
have two or more military style features, such as folding stocks, 
protruding pistol grips or bayonet mounts.
  The ban on assault weapons responds directly to the outcry against 
the use of military-style weapons on neighborhood streets and school 
playgrounds. Enactment of this provision will help local police 
officers who are at risk of facing criminals with MAC 11 assault 
pistols loaded with 32 rounds of ammunition.
  In total, this anticrime bill provides for a historic expansion of 
Federal resources to combat and prevent violent crime. The Omnibus 
Crime Control Act will provide $30.2 billion for anticrime programs. 
Funding for this measure will be provided through a crime trust fund 
which will be supported by savings from the previously approved 
reduction of 252,000 Federal workers.
  Mr. Speaker, the Omnibus Crime Control Act is a good bill.
  There are some who may not like every single provision, but this bill 
does provide local communities with the help needed to both punish 
violent criminals and prevent crime from happening in the first place. 
H.R. 3355 provides the right tools for fighting the war on crime and I 
urge my colleagues to join with me in voting for final passage.

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