[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 46 (Wednesday, April 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2609-S2610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PROJECT EXILE: THE SAFE STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOODS ACT OF 2000

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, today, I rise in support of S. 2390, 
``Project Exile: The Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act of 2000'', 
which establishes a grant program to provide incentives for states to 
enact mandatory minimum sentences for certain firearms offenses. I 
commend Senator DeWine for his leadership and appreciate the 
opportunity to join with him and other colleagues working together on 
this important legislation. The time has come to restore our commitment 
to aggressively prosecuting gun crimes around this country. In states 
and cities around the country where aggressive prosecution of gun 
crimes is coupled with tough prison sentences, violent crime has gone 
down. Tough law enforcement saves lives.
  This legislation provides $100 million of additional resources over 
five years as incentives for efforts like Project Exile. To qualify for 
the grant program, states must have a mandatory minimum of 5 years 
without parole for convictions of violent crimes and serious drug 
trafficking offenses where a firearm is used during or in relation to 
the crime. In the alternative, the state can have a federal prosecution 
agreement which would refer those arrested for federal prosecution of 
the alleged gun crime in a collaborative effort between law 
enforcement.
  Project Exile started in Richmond, Virginia as an attempt to reduce 
violent crime by aggressive enforcement of gun laws and improved law 
enforcement coordination. Since the program began in 1997, violent 
crimes involving handguns have decreased 65 percent and overall crime 
has been reduced by 35 percent. 385 guns were taken off of the street. 
In 1999, Project Exile was adopted statewide in Virginia. It has given 
prosecutors the ability to choose within which courts they will try 
offenders and created tougher penalties for people committing crimes 
with guns.
  I have also worked to help expand this approach to Philadelphia in 
1999, where ``Operation Cease Fire'' also adopts a zero tolerance 
policy for federal gun crimes. Project Exile has already proven that 
present laws can work if enforced properly. Federal, state, and local 
law enforcement and prosecutors work side by side to expedite 
prosecution of every federal firearms violation. In 1999, over 200 
federal gun-related indictments were issued in Philadelphia and the 
surrounding counties. This is a 70 percent increase in indictments in 
only one year.
  The bill authorizes $10 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2001, $15 million 
in FY02, $20 million in FY03, $25 million in FY04, and $30 million in 
FY05. States must provide at least a 10 percent match and must also at 
least maintain current funding levels to qualify. Funds can be used for 
public awareness campaigns, law enforcement agencies,

[[Page S2610]]

prosecutors, courts, probation and correctional officers, case 
management, coordination of criminal history records, and the juvenile 
justice system. Representative Bill McCollum introduced similar 
legislation in the House of Representatives as H.R. 4051. This 
legislation passed the House yesterday by a 358-60 vote margin.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
initiative to collaborate with local efforts to prosecute and prevent 
the criminal use of guns in our schools and neighborhoods.

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