[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 73 (Tuesday, June 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO U.S. ATTORNEY ALAN D. BERSIN

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Alan Bersin, a valued colleague and extraordinary public servant. 
During his four and half years as United States Attorney for the 
Southern District of California, the office became one of the premier 
prosecutorial offices in the country. Under Alan Bersin's leadership 
the caseload was transformed from one dominated by misdemeanor 
prosecutions to the largest number of felony prosecutions in the 
nation.
  As the chief law enforcement officer along the most populous sector 
of the Southwest Border with Mexico, Alan Bersin has made border 
enforcement his highest priority, and is perhaps best known for his 
work as the Attorney General's Special Representative for Southwest 
Border Issues. He was appointed to the position in October 1995 at a 
time when the government was seeking new leadership and energy to deal 
with the proliferation of illegal activity along the southwest border 
which had become the principal corridor for smuggling of aliens and 
drugs into the country. Alan Bersin targeted for prosecution the large 
drug distributors and cartels on both sides of the border, and the 
repeat border crossers with felony records. He also coordinated 
resources in a manner never before attempted. Largely as a result of 
these strategic approaches, crime in the Southern District of 
California decreased 40 percent during Alan Bersin's tenure.
  Shortly after taking office in 1994, Alan Bersin reached an historic 
accord with the San Diego District Attorney whereby the county, for the 
first time in San Diego history, prosecuted drug smuggling case which 
had a San Diego nexus. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in 
border drug smuggling prosecutions that is unprecedented, and has 
allowed the federal government to use its unique resources such as wire 
tap authority, to focus on the more serious violators. Alan Bersin also 
helped create a Specialized Drug Enforcement Operation in Imperial 
Valley which served as a prime trafficking route of the Mexican drug 
cartels. The special enforcement unit involves 17 federal, state and 
local drug-related law enforcement agencies, the California National 
Guard and the Department of Defense. Alan Bersin's ability to bring 
together enforcement agencies at all levels to cooperate in a number of 
successful enforcement initiatives has been praised by local, state and 
federal law enforcement leaders. Also, his ability to coordinate with 
our neighbor to the South has been most extraordinary. He worked 
tirelessly to bridge the cultural and political divide in a way that 
enabled both countries to see that it was in their best interests to 
find areas of mutual concern and work together to the maximum extent 
feasible, even though there are other areas on which we will continue 
to disagree.
  As the patterns of illegal migration changed in response to increased 
law enforcement personnel and resources, criminal activity moved to new 
areas along the border. Under Alan Bersin's leadership both countries 
implemented collaborative programs to prevent criminal activity and to 
apprehend criminals who oftentimes preyed upon undocumented aliens. 
Alan Bersin also oversaw the creation of a civil rights working group 
comprised of federal law enforcement, immigrant rights' advocacy groups 
from San Diego and Tijuana, the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, the 
U.S. Consulate in Tijuana and the United States Attorney's Office to 
bring to the table all those affected by or involved in the enforcement 
of civil rights laws. The group provides assistance to investigators in 
locating evidence on both sides of the border to prove allegations of 
abuse. Other innovative programs launched during Alan Bersin's tenure 
include helping to establish a Binational Environmental Laboratory to 
facilitate the investigation and prosecution of environmental cases in 
Mexico and the U.S.
  Mexico is not the only sovereignty with whom Alan Bersin negotiated 
well and successfully. At a time when Indian gaming was becoming an 
enormously difficult and controversial issue in California, and aspects 
of the issue were being litigated in both state and federal courts, 
Alan Bersin managed to maintain a level playing field on a government 
to government basis between the State of California and the Native 
American tribes of San Diego County.
  Finally, in addition to the official law enforcement achievements 
during the last four years, Alan Bersin has added a new dimension to 
public service. By example and by encouragement, he has increased 
enormously the involvement of his staff in community projects, ranging 
from training programs to mentoring and public outreach. His commitment 
to the community will continue as he begins a new career as 
Superintendent of Schools for the San Diego Unified School District. I 
am confident he will bring to that position the same vision, inspiring 
leadership and commitment which made him such an outstanding United 
States Attorney. He has brought great credit to his office, to the 
Justice Department and to the nation. Congratulations Alan, and best 
wishes for every success as Superintendent of the San Diego Unified 
School District.

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