[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1541-E1542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            IT IS TIME WE TRULY TAKE BACK OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

                                 ______


                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 27, 1995
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, today I have introduced legislation to 
bolster our Nation's crime fighting efforts and to encourage citizens 
to get involved in crime prevention. I am joined in this effort by 
Congressman Stupak, cochairman of the Law Enforcement Caucus--of which 
I am a member.
  The Taking Back Our Neighborhoods Crime Fighting Act will give a $50 
tax credit to people actively involved in neighborhood watch groups and 
other organizations committed to the reduction of local crime.
  I am proposing this tax credit because neighborhood watch works. It 
is the most effective crime reduction program available to our 
communities. Throughout the country, neighborhood watch groups have 
made people feel safer and more secure in their homes, parks, and 
streets.
  Neighborhood watch establishes relationships among neighbors--and it 
establishes partnerships between neighborhoods and their police 
officers. Citizens are trained how to watch out for their families, 
monitor their neighborhoods, how to be observant and reliable 
witnesses, and how to assist their local police. Police chiefs and 
officers around the country firmly believe in neighborhood watch and 
have endorsed the idea of encouraging participation through tax 
credits.
  Over the last decade, in my congressional district, we have pioneered 
the concept of community oriented crime fighting, and we have seen the 
difference it makes.
  Serving on the San Diego Council for 5 years before I came to 
Congress, I worked hand in hand with residents to attack crime. We 
helped establish neighborhood watch groups. We went on walking patrols 
through the streets and created support networks among neighbors. We 
established drug free zones to keep dealers away from our schools. And 
we organized a graffiti patrol to clean up our neighborhoods and 
restore pride in our community.
  We also worked directly with local police to create innovative crime 
fighting strategies. We instituted walking patrols in the streets, in 
the schools, and in the neighborhoods. Police officers got to know the 
neighborhoods they protected and the people in them. They talked to 
residents, and residents knew exactly who to call if they saw someone 
in trouble.
  These efforts have been successful. During the last year in San 
Diego, we have seen a reduction of at least 10 percent in every major 
category of crime.

[[Page E 1542]]

  And most importantly, we were empowered, we felt stronger, we 
fostered a sense of community, and we saw that we could make a 
difference in peoples lives.
  Neighborhood watch groups have proven to be an effective and 
economical approach to providing a better and more secure society for 
ourselves and our children.
  Giving people in neighborhood watch groups a $50 tax break will 
support the many citizens already involved in crime prevention and 
encourage more community participation.
  I ask my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. 
Working together--and only by working together--can we truly start to 
reclaim our streets.
    

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