[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 8 (Monday, February 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S514-S515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BOSTON'S SUCCESS FIGHTING JUVENILE CRIME

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I recently received an impressive letter 
from Boston Police Commissioner Paul Evans on Boston's current 
successful experience in reducing crime in the city, especially 
juvenile crime. Firearms homicides have plummeted, and the overall 
crime rate has dropped significantly.
  As Commissioner Evans states, ``The keys to our effort in Boston have 
been prevention, intervention and enforcement.'' The city's 
comprehensive approach includes not only law enforcement agencies, but 
the entire criminal justice system and community and social service 
agencies as well. As more and more cities become aware of this 
successful, anti-crime strategy, Boston is becoming a model for the 
nation on this vital issue.
  His letter goes on to say, ``Our strategy relies on focused 
intervention, with smarter, tougher enforcement targeted at the very 
small group of hard-core offenders. We work closely with state and 
federal agencies to disrupt the flow of illegal firearms by mounting 
coordinated investigations and prosecutions of gun traffickers.''
  As Commissioner Evans emphasizes, the progress in Boston was made 
``without measures such as housing juvenile detainees and convicts in 
adult jails and prisons. The focus of policy and dollars should be 
intervention and prevention at the front end, and not incarceration in 
adult facilities at the back end.''
  As the Senate prepares to take up legislation to combat juvenile 
crime, I urge my colleagues to heed the words of Commissioner Evans, 
and I ask unanimous consent that his letter be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                     Boston Police Department,

                                                 January 30, 1998.
     Hon. Edward M. Kennedy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kennedy: As the Senate prepares to debate the 
     juvenile crime bill, I agree with your suggestion that it 
     would be helpful to look again at the collaborative work in 
     Boston, and the progress we have made over the past 18-24 
     months. I offer the following.
       The keys to our effort in Boston have been prevention, 
     intervention and enforcement conducted with broad 
     collaboration across law enforcement, criminal justice, 
     community and social service agencies. Our strategy relies on 
     focused intervention, with smarter, tougher enforcement 
     targeted at the very small group of hard-core offenders. We 
     work closely with state and federal agencies to disrupt the 
     flow of illegal firearms by mounting coordinated 
     investigations and prosecutions of gun traffickers.
       Firearm homicides among people aged 24 years and younger 
     are down over 70 percent since we instituted the innovative 
     ``Cease-Fire'' program in 1995. We have lost one juvenile to 
     a firearm homicide since July, 1995. Overall homicides are at 
     their lowest level in 30 years, with a 30 percent decrease in 
     1997 as compared with 1996.
       It also noteworthy that we have made these strides without 
     measures such as housing juvenile detainees and convicts in 
     adult jails and prisons. The focus of policy and dollars 
     should be intervention and prevention at the front end, and 
     not incarceration in adult facilities at the back end.
       As the Senate takes up the complex question of effective 
     juvenile crime control policy, I would strongly recommend 
     federal spending that requires collaboration, that requires 
     communities to support a balance of prevention along with 
     enforcement, and the directs these funds in the most crime-
     impacted neighborhoods. We cannot be credible

[[Page S515]]

     in the community about enforcement if we are not credible on 
     prevention. The juvenile block grant offers an excellent 
     opportunity for the Senate to invest seriously in prevention.
           Sincerely yours,
                                                    Paul F. Evans,
     Police Commissioner.

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