[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 28 (Monday, February 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1615-H1616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            OPPOSE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, today we will begin debating H.R. 728, the 
law enforcement block grant proposal.
  With violent crime still the No. 1 concern of most Americans, the 
voters should know why this proposal will do nothing to decrease 
instances of violent crime. In fact, having been a police officer for 
12 years, as a police officer, we get angry when we hear these 
proposals about new crime bills, angry because crime is an emotional 
issue. But unfortunately it is always being used for political 
purposes.
  Crime is not political. Crime is not Democrat nor Republican. It is 
not independent. It is personal. Crime violates the self-respect of 
every individual touched by crime, and elected officials who play 
politics with crime, or try to seize upon the fear of crime for 
political gain do a disservice to this country, to their constituency, 
and to the civility of our own country.
  For the past 7 years, there had not been a crime bill. In August 1994 
we passed a crime bill.
  In the past, crime bills were always defeated because this group or 
that group or a President would
 veto a crime bill. While they were busy playing politics with crime, 
crime has tripled. Violent crime has gone up 300 percent. It has 
tripled in the last 10 years. Yet the number of police officers on the 
street helping to combat violent crime has only gone up just a mere 10 
percent.

  So why are we here today on H.R. 728 after 4 months of passing a 
crime bill? Pure and simple, we are here because of politics. We are 
here because one group is trying to capitalize and repeal the work we 
did in 1994 merely for political purposes.
  H.R. 728 will repeal the promise, the provisions to put 100,000 more 
police officers on the street. They want to take that money for 100,000 
more police officers on the street and replace it with a massive block 
grant program that allows money to be spent with no restrictions, a 
massive block grant program like we did in the late sixties and early 
seventies called the Law Enforcement Administrative Agency. The LEAA, 
Mr. Speaker, was a failure and a very costly one for this country.
  For instance, the block grants that were granted in 1968 and 1970 
went like this. In Louisiana, a sheriff purchased a tank saying it 
would be necessary for crowd control. In Indiana, $84,000 in LEAA funds 
were block-granted so they could purchase an aircraft that could be 
used to fly the Governor around the State. Well, in fact, it did come 
to Washington once to pick up some Moon rocks and went back to Indiana, 
really a swell crime-fighting program there.
  In Alabama, the LEAA funded a police cadet program. Over $117,000 was 
put out for costs of this program that went to the payment to the sons, 
the friends, and relatives of other high State ranking officials. One 
State used the money to make a manual, and you know what, the manual 
turned out to be nothing more than a copy of an existing Federal 
publication. Another city used the LEAA block grant funds to buy a 
police car, a Chevrolet Impala. It had no police markings, it had no 
sirens, it had no flashers. It was used as a private vehicle for the 
mayor. The city of New Orleans spent $200,000 in block grants to buy 
land. Other law enforcement officials did LEAA block grant funds for 
financial investments. In fact, 33 cents on every dollar spent in LEAA 
funds went for outside consultants, for administrative costs.
  So we are here today with H.R. 728 to redo the pork of Christmases 
past, to bring back these block grants. The Republicans are going to 
dismantle the police on the street, the cops on the street program, to 
go back to block grants.
  Since the 1994 crime bill was passed on October 1, it became 
effective, we have placed 17,000, authorized 17,000 new police officers 
to be placed in our communities to do community policing.
  In a letter dated February 6, the President of the Fraternal Order of 
Police stated, ``We strongly support your resolve to fight any repeal 
of the funding earmarked for the hiring of 100,000 police officers.'' 
February 7, a letter 
[[Page H1616]] from the executive director of the National Association 
of Police Officers writes, ``Representing over 3,500 police unions and 
associations and 175,000 sworn law enforcement officers, we ask it not 
be devastated.''
  Mr. Speaker, as we begin this debate, I ask that Members look 
seriously upon the fallacies of H.R. 728. Let us not play politics with 
crime, and let us put forth and keep the 100,000 police on the street 
program.


                          ____________________