[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 20, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S734-S735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE SAFE SCHOOLS, SAFE STREETS AND SECURE BORDERS ACT OF 1999

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator Leahy and 
several other Democratic Senators in introducing the Safe Schools, Safe 
Streets and Secure Borders Act of 1999. Thanks in large part to the 
legacy of success that Senate Democrats have had in the area of anti-
crime legislation, the crime rate in this country has been going down 
for six consecutive years. This is the longest such period of decline 
in 25 years, and the comprehensive crime bill that we are introducing 
will build on this success and reduce crime even further.
  Despite the decrease in crime throughout the last six years, juvenile 
crime and drug abuse continue to be problems that weigh heavily on the 
minds of the American people. In my home state of South Dakota, there 
has been a particularly alarming increase in juvenile crime, and I have 
been working extensively with community leaders and concerned parents 
to focus public attention on this issue. Now is the time when we must 
target the real needs of American families and communities, and I 
believe that the Safe Schools, Safe Streets and Secure Borders Act of 
1999 will do just that. This bill will reduce crime by targeting 
violent crime in our schools, reforming the juvenile justice system, 
combating gang violence, cracking down on the

[[Page S735]]

sale and use of illegal drugs, strengthening the rights of crime 
victims, and giving police and prosecutors more tools and resources to 
fight crime. In addition, this bill would build on one of the most 
successful initiatives of the 1994 Crime Act by extending the 
authorization for the COPS program so that an additional 25,000 police 
officers can be deployed on our streets in the coming years. We will 
soon meet the commitment that we made in the 1994 Crime Act to put 
100,000 new police officers on the beat across America--under budget 
and ahead of schedule--and we should build on that success. Putting 
more police officers on the streets, however, is not enough.
  Unfortunately, in the last few years, our schools have been plagued 
by tragic shootings far too many times. These senseless tragedies must 
be stopped, and the Safe Schools, Safe Streets and Secure Borders Act 
of 1999 targets violent crime in schools by providing technical 
assistance in schools, reforming the juvenile justice system, assisting 
states in prosecuting and punishing juvenile offenders and reducing 
juvenile crime, while also protecting children from violence.
  Moreover, we must stop street gangs from spreading fear in our 
neighborhoods and interfering with our livelihoods. A recent report by 
the Department of Justice indicates that more than 846,000 gang members 
belong to 31,000 youth gangs in the United States, and the numbers 
appear to be growing. The ramifications of this trend could be 
disastrous. For this reason, an important provision of the Safe 
Schools, Safe Streets and Secure Borders Act of 1999 would crack down 
on gangs by making the interstate ``franchising'' of street gangs a 
crime. It will also double the criminal penalties for using or 
threatening physical violence against witnesses and contains other 
provisions designed to facilitate the use and protection of witnesses 
to help prosecute gangs and other violent criminals. The Act also 
provides funding for law enforcement agencies in communities designated 
by the Attorney General as areas with a high level of interstate gang 
activity.
  We can also do more to keep our children off the street and out of 
trouble. The Safe Schools, Safe Streets and Secure Borders Act of 1999 
will do just that by providing additional funding for proven prevention 
programs in crime-prone areas and creating after school ``safe havens'' 
where children are protected from drugs, gangs and crime with 
activities including drug prevention education, academic tutoring, 
mentoring, and abstinence training. In this way, we can provide kids 
with coaches and mentors now, so that they will not need judges and 
wardens later. This makes sense for our children, this makes sense for 
our communities, and this makes sense for our future.
  There are many other provisions in the Safe Schools, Safe Streets and 
Secure Borders Act of 1999 that will make a real difference--a positive 
difference--in the lives of the people of this country. This 
comprehensive bill is a vital part of our ongoing effort to secure the 
safety of our schools, streets and citizens, and I encourage my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to give it their full support.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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