[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   COPS PROGRAM GOOD FOR COMMUNITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Police Week. Today I 
was at the White House Rose Garden for the unveiling of the COPS 
program, which calls for an additional 50,000 police officers. I want 
to thank President Clinton for his efforts in bringing community-
oriented policing services to towns and cities all across America.
  I have served as both a city police officer and a Michigan State 
police trooper for approximately 12 years. When I was elected to the 
Michigan Legislature in 1988, I authored legislation to bring community 
policing to Michigan. I have always advocated bringing police officers 
and citizens together, coming together, working together to solve 
neighborhood and community problems.
  As a police officer and as a Congressman of an extremely rural 
district, I would like to thank the President for the 195 police 
officers the COPS program has brought to my northern Michigan 
communities, 28 counties in the northern part of Michigan.
  The COPS program's harshest critics are the people it searches, the 
chiefs of police and the local sheriffs. Yet no matter what their party 
affiliation, whether they be Democrat, Republican or Independent, they 
have all praised the ease of handling of the COPS program and the one-
page grant application.
  Nationally, we are witnessing a dramatic decrease in crime rates. 
More cops on the street, coupled with a booming economy, helps to 
decrease crime. Yet, we are haunted by recent events of unforeseen 
violence in our Nation's schools. I hope and pray that today's COPS 
initiative becomes a commitment not just for our Nation but also for 
our schools through the School Resource Officer Program, COPS in 
schools.
  COPS working in partnership with our teachers and our students to 
solve crime can stop the unprecedented violence. COPS and School 
Resource Officers cannot be a 1-year program, a 3-year program, or a 5-
year program. It must be a commitment of our generation to save future 
generations. It is with this COPS initiative and a commitment to the 
School Resource Officer program that we can duplicate the success of 
the COPS program to reduce violence in schools.
  I have brought my years of service as a police officer to the 
Congress. One of the things I did when I first got here was to form a 
Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus to start a dialogue between 
Members of Congress and police officers. President Bill Clinton has 
always joined in our dialogue, and we appreciate this administration's 
continued commitment to law enforcement.
  Together, the Law Enforcement Caucus and this administration have 
looked out for the health and safety of law enforcement officers 
throughout the Nation. Together, we have passed legislation to provide 
education benefits for dependents of slain and disabled police 
officers, appropriated grant monies so local law enforcement officers 
can purchase bulletproof vests, waived the Federal income tax on 
pension benefits of slain officers, and of course initiated the School 
Resource Officer program.
  So I would like to thank the President not just for caring about 
reducing the Nation's crime rate but helping to take care of America's 
crime fighters.
  But no matter how much we do, no matter how much we try to ensure the 
safety of the men and women in law enforcement, we know that death is 
possible and it strikes suddenly and swiftly, without warning.
  Approximately 1 year ago today I was on this floor arguing for more 
bulletproof vests for more law enforcement officers when Sergeant 
Dennis Finch lay on the front porch dying, shot by a deranged gunman, 
who kept other fellow officers and paramedics from going to Dennis' 
aid. Sergeant Dennis Finch of the Traverse City Police Department died 
the next day.
  Tomorrow night I will join Dennis' family, fellow officers, and other 
officers from all around this Nation at the Police Memorial in 
Judiciary Square here in Washington, D.C. at a candlelight vigil to 
honor Dennis and 157 other fallen law enforcement officers who were 
killed in 1998.
  Every other day a law enforcement officer in the United States is 
killed. So as I advocate for the new COPS program, as I advocate for 
greater benefits for fallen officers and their families, and greater 
protections for all law enforcement officers, I am pleased to say that 
as a cop I know what it means to have a good partner: That is one you 
can count on. And we in law enforcement have no better partners in our 
fight against crime than President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al 
Gore and the Democratic party.
  I salute all current and past law enforcement officers and our fallen 
officers. May God grant them and their families peace.

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