[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1771]]


                      IN SUPPORT OF COPS PROGRAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 1997

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services. Three years ago, President 
Clinton vowed to place 100,000 more police officers on the streets of 
American cities in a nationwide effort to reduce crime starting at the 
community level. To fulfill this goal by the end of the year 2000, the 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services [COPS] was established. 
Halfway through the 6-year program, 65,000 officers have been added to 
police forces across the Nation, and reports of dramatic drops in crime 
are coming in from cities throughout the country.
  Cleveland, OH is one of these COPS success stories. Juvenile crime 
had been on the rise in Cleveland. Arrests for weapons violations rose 
67 percent from 1989 to 1994. A 35-percent increase in juvenile felony 
arrests was seen between 1992 and 1993 alone. In spite of this rise in 
crime, the number of police officers had declined. The Cleveland Police 
Department has received over $8 million in grants from the COPS office. 
Among many COPS-funded programs, one especially innovative and 
successful program stands out, the Residential Area Policing Program 
[RAPP].
  In an effort to create more of a community policing presence, the 
Cleveland police department identified abandoned, nuisance properties 
in various neighborhoods, restored the properties and stationed 
specially trained community policing officers there 24 hours a day. 
These officers established themselves in the neighborhood, made regular 
patrols, and conducted door-to-door surveys of the residents' problems. 
They also hosted training seminars and provided a safe house to the 
youths of the area. In short, the community police formed partnerships 
with the residents of the neighborhoods and, together, they improved 
the appearance of the neighborhood, identified community problems, and 
developed substantial solutions. In each of the four sites selected for 
the year-long program, the community officers became integral members 
of the community and left lasting, positive effects. Drug traffic has 
decreased, gunfire has diminished, and the number of civil disputes is 
down. Equally as important, the number of calls for service rose 100 
percent showing that the residents felt comfortable turning to the 
police for help.
  RAPP is but one of many endeavors on the part of the Cleveland police 
department to get more involved in community policing. Over $11 million 
have been awarded to communities in the 10th congressional district of 
Ohio resulting in the hiring of over 170 new officers. Residents 
profess that the programs have helped reduce crime, and the statistics 
prove it. Community policing works, and I support its continued funding 
so other cities may see the rewards of communities and police 
departments working together to combat crime.

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