[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1698-H1699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       MORE POLICE FOR WEST VIRGINIA UNDER LAST YEAR'S CRIME BILL

  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the bill that is 
on the floor that calls itself a crime bill because it undoes the real 
crime bill that was passed last year.
  One of the good parts of that crime bill came true last week in West 
Virginia which we saved 118 new police officers for communities across 
our State, bringing to a total of 170 police officers that have already 
come to our State and with hundreds more scheduled to come. Our own 
State police received 13 police officers. Yet under this bill they 
would not be eligible for additional officers.
  [[Page H1699]] Some say this bill on the floor today makes it more 
flexible because you can buy equipment, but we already have programs to 
buy equipment for police departments. Indeed what the police 
departments need most right now are more police.
  Somerset Maugham once wrote that he ``conducted his actions in regard 
to the police officer standing on the corner.'' These officers are 
getting on our streets and our corners now. One hundred and seventy new 
officers in West Virginia alone testified to the fact that we want to 
keep that intact and not vote for this bill today.

                          ____________________