[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1692-H1693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT BLOCK GRANTS, H.R. 728

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 1995, the gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] is 
recognized during morning business for 4 minutes.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, last Congress we passed legislation to put 
100,000 police on the streets. Grants have already been awarded to 
17,000 communities across the United States, including several in my 
State of North Carolina. At least half of the police departments 
throughout the country have applied for these community policing 
grants. This bill will take a giant step back in time.
  I believe we are at a dangerous point in history. We are placing 
greater emphasis on putting people away, than we are on protecting and 
preserving our neighborhoods. For years, it has been well recognized 
that punishment alone is not enough to deter crime. The classic case of 
public hangings of pick pockets, while others were in the crowd picking 
pockets, should not be lost in this debate. Prevention has a place in 
eliminating crime. Policing has a place in deterring criminal activity. 
More jails is the last place we should look to as a way of ridding our 
streets of crime and steering our young people in the right direction.
  The police program we passed is designed to help stem the rising tide 
of crime and to make our streets safe again. Last year's crime bill 
made sure that the resources would be used for more police and police 
related activities, such as new technology and overtime pay. The 
language of this bill, which allows for block grants, would broaden the 
use of the funds. That broader use will effectively dilute resources 
for community policing and would allow funds to be used for such things 
as street lights and disaster preparation. Those are important uses, 
but those uses are not as important as more police.
  There is absolutely no requirement in H.R. 728 that the funds 
authorized must be used for police. Last year's bill gave sufficient 
flexibility to the State and local governments, while insuring that the 
police would be hired to patrol our streets. H.R. 728 provides no such 
guarantees. In addition, any block grant funds that might be used for 
police under this bill, may well be threatened by the budget ax under 
the mandate of a balanced budget constitutional amendment. Block grants 
funds are far more vulnerable to such a result.
  We may not have any new police on the streets, if this bill passes. 
More importantly, under block grant funding, the critical prevention 
programs we passed last year are at risk. Over the next 5 years, under 
last year's bill, my State of North Carolina would receive millions of 
dollars in funds to help prevent violence against women; $27 million 
would have gone for police, prosecutors, and victims services. And $9 
million would have gone to grants for shelters for battered women and 
their children. There is doubt that those funds will be available under 
this bill.
  Under last year's bill, North Carolina would have received $6 million 
to treat some 5,400 drug addicted prisoners, housed in our prisons. We 
would have received $21 million, over the next 5 years, for after 
school and in-school safe heavens for our children. All of those funds 
will be in doubt, with passage of this bill. We would have received $39 
million in direct grants for a variety of local programs for education 
and jobs programs. And, we would have 
[[Page H1693]] been eligible for millions more in discretionary 
grants--money for boys and girls clubs, and antigang grants.
  Those funds are now in doubt. Mr. Speaker, it is by now well 
established that it is for more costly to incarcerate an individual 
than it is to train or educate him. Prisons are warehouses and training 
grounds for further criminal activity. If we are serious about crime 
prevention, we should put more police on the streets and provide 
resources for programs that discourage crime. The Local Law Enforcement 
Block Grants Act undercuts that effort. This bill should be defeated.


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