[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 20 (Friday, March 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1391-S1392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PROSECUTING GUN-RELATED CRIMES

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the fight to reduce gun violence must be 
waged on two fronts. First, we need to keep guns out of the hands of 
criminals, prevent children from gaining access to firearms and give 
law enforcement the resources they need to thoroughly investigate gun-
related crimes. At the same time, we have to vigorously prosecute 
criminals who commit gun-related crimes.
  According to the 2000 National Crime Victimization Survey, 533,470 
victims of rape and sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault 
faced a perpetrator with a firearm. The Community Gun Violence 
Prosecution Program can play a major role in improving prosecution of 
criminals who commit these gun-related violent crimes by providing 
funding to hire prosecutors solely to prosecute firearm-related violent 
crimes. Providing funds to improve prosecution will not only bring 
felons to justice, but will also act as a deterrent to future crimes.
  On Monday, it was announced that the Dickinson County, MI, 
prosecutors office will receive $119,117 from the U.S. Department of 
Justice through CGVPP. The grant will be used to hire an assistant 
prosecutor who will devote

[[Page S1392]]

his or her time to prosecuting violent crimes committed with a firearm. 
This grant is the latest of several that prosecutors in Michigan, 
including Wayne, Muskegon and Ingham County prosecutors, have received 
to combat and deter gun-related crime. The efforts of prosecutors are 
critical to getting violent criminals off the streets. However we 
cannot forget that preventing gun violence ultimately requires that we 
enact sensible gun-safety legislation.

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