[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 18 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1292-S1293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. 
        Biden):
  S. 2081. A bill to amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy 
Act Reauthorization Act of 1998 to ensure that adequate funding is 
provided for certain high intensity drug trafficking areas; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation 
which will help America's families who are fighting to drive drugs and 
violence out of their communities.

[[Page S1293]]

  The Dawson Family Community Protection Act of 2004 asks the Federal 
Government to do its fair share by devoting some of its drug fighting 
resources to communities with high intensity drug trafficking and 
severe safety concerns. That means dedicating much needed resources to 
help communities fight the infiltration of drugs and the drug dealers 
that plague their communities and threaten the safety of their 
children.
  This bill is named in memory of a heroic Baltimore family--the 
Dawsons--whose active role in trying to rid their neighborhood of drugs 
and violence cost them their lives. Carnell and Angela Dawson lived in 
the community of Oliver in East Baltimore and raised five children 
there.
  Every day Angela, known as ``Angel,'' walked her children to school, 
she made sure that they only rode their bikes on the sidewalk so they 
would be safe. Her husband, Carnell, worked hard as a construction 
worker to provide for his family. Both parents were devoted to their 
children and wanted to make a better life for them.
  The house they lived in on the corner of N. Eden Street made Angel 
nervous. It had too many windows and she was scared that a stray bullet 
would come in and harm one of her children. The street also worried 
Angel. There were lots of young teens dealing drugs. She wanted the 
drugs out of her neighborhood, away from her children and away from all 
the neighbors' children. She fought every day to make that happen, 
calling the police when she saw dealers, or violence on her block. She 
was persistent and the neighbors knew it. They called her a great 
mother--``someone who stood up for what she believed in.'' Sadly, that 
persistence and those beliefs cost her and her family their lives.
  Angel had repeatedly called the police in September of 2002 to report 
drug activity. Then on October 3--someone threw two Molotov cocktails 
through the kitchen window of their house--causing a fire but no 
injuries. They were sending a message. Two weeks later that message was 
unmistakable as someone broke through their front door and poured 
gasoline throughout the first floor of their house and lit a match. 
Within minutes the house was in flames and it was impossible to escape. 
Although fire fighters arrived almost immediately--they could not save 
the family. Angel and five of her children had perished and her husband 
Carnell had jumped from the second story with burns all over his body--
he survived only a week in the hospital.
  Many in the neighborhood thought it was the final message.
  The Dawsons are the kind of neighbors we all would want. They cared 
about the community and wanted to make it better and safer. They 
represent brave families all over America who are trying to take back 
their neighborhoods, who have worked with law enforcement and their 
neighbors to make their communities safer.
  Too many of these families have had to face threats and retaliation 
and sadly even murder in their attempt to help their loved ones and 
neighbors. They work hard, send their kids to school to get an 
education and play by the rules--yet they live in communities that are 
unsafe because they are infested with drugs and drug dealers.
  We need to get assistance to these communities, as they are working 
hard to make life better, they need the resources of law enforcement 
and government to make that a reality. We have to help communities that 
are trying to help themselves, communities that are trying get rid of 
drugs, rehabilitate and educate drug dealers and most importantly end 
violence and protect their neighborhood children.
  That is why today, I join with my colleagues, Senator Sarbanes, Hatch 
and Biden in introducing this legislation that provides $5 million to 
high intensity drug traffic areas with severe safety and illegal drug 
distribution problems--to support communities that are affected by drug 
trafficking and to encourage their cooperation with local, State and 
Federal law enforcement officials.
  These funds also help to protect families that cooperate, families 
that report crimes and drugs and families that seek to make a 
difference in their communities. These resources help law enforcement 
provide witness protection and address safety issues in these 
communities. The funding only goes to neighborhoods--like the East 
Baltimore neighborhood that the Dawson's lived in--with severe 
neighborhood safety and illegal drug distribution problems.
  For these communities it's time for the Federal Government to step up 
and do more, especially when average citizens put their lives on the 
line every day trying to stop the violence and crime that comes when 
the illegal drug trade invades their neighborhoods.
  This bill will give citizens and law enforcement the tools they need 
to make sure the community is safe and those doing the reporting are 
protected. In honor of the Dawson family, I ask my colleagues to 
support this important legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2081

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Dawson Family Community 
     Protection Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) In the early morning hours of October 16, 2002, the 
     home of Carnell and Angela Dawson was firebombed in apparent 
     retaliation for Mrs. Dawson's notification of police about 
     persistent drug distribution activity in their East Baltimore 
     City neighborhood.
       (2) The arson claimed the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson and 
     their 5 young children, aged 9 to 14.
       (3) The horrific murder of the Dawson family is a stark 
     example of domestic narco-terrorism.
       (4) In all phases of counter-narcotics law enforcement--
     from prevention to investigation to prosecution to reentry--
     the voluntary cooperation of ordinary citizens is a critical 
     component.
       (5) Voluntary cooperation is difficult for law enforcement 
     officials to obtain when citizens feel that cooperation 
     carries the risk of violent retaliation by illegal drug 
     trafficking organizations and their affiliates.
       (6) Public confidence that law enforcement is doing all it 
     can to make communities safe is a prerequisite for voluntary 
     cooperation among people who may be subject to intimidation 
     or reprisal (or both).
       (7) Witness protection programs are insufficient on their 
     own to provide security because many individuals and families 
     who strive every day to make distressed neighborhoods livable 
     for their children, other relatives, and neighbors will 
     resist or refuse offers of relocation by local, State, and 
     Federal prosecutorial agencies and because, moreover, the 
     continued presence of strong individuals and families is 
     critical to preserving and strengthening the social fabric in 
     such communities.
       (8) Where (as in certain sections of Baltimore City) 
     interstate trafficking of illegal drugs has severe ancillary 
     local consequences within areas designated as High Intensity 
     Drug Trafficking Areas, it is important that supplementary 
     HIDTA Program funds be committed to support initiatives aimed 
     at making the affected communities safe for the residents of 
     those communities and encouraging their cooperation with 
     local, State, and Federal law enforcement efforts to combat 
     illegal drug trafficking.

     SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR CERTAIN HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING 
                   AREAS.

       (a) In General.--Section 707(d) of the Office of National 
     Drug Control Policy Act Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 
     U.S.C. 1706(d); Public Law 105-277; 112 Stat. 2681-670) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(d) Authorization and Use of Funds.--
       ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated $5,000,000 to be used in high intensity drug 
     trafficking areas with severe neighborhood safety and illegal 
     drug distribution problems to--
       ``(A) ensure the safety of neighborhoods and the protection 
     of communities, including the prevention of the intimidation 
     of potential witnesses of illegal drug distribution and 
     related activities; and
       ``(B) combat illegal drug trafficking through such methods 
     as the Director considers appropriate, such as establishing 
     or operating (or both) a toll-free telephone hotline for use 
     by the public to provide information about illegal drug-
     related activities.
       ``(2) Use of funds.--The Director shall ensure that no 
     Federal funds appropriated for the High Intensity Drug 
     Trafficking Program are expended for the establishment or 
     expansion of drug treatment programs.''.
                                 ______