[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 132 (Tuesday, December 5, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S11174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TIME FOR A CHANGE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, crime in our Nation is increasing. Too 
often guns are involved. In 2005, our country experienced a surge in 
murder and robbery rates. Unfortunately, that surge has continued in 
2006. The Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank that serves 
many of the Nations' police departments, examined the murder and 
robbery statistics of 53 U.S. cities for the first 6 months of this 
year. In their report, ``A Gathering Storm: Violent Crime in America,'' 
they report that murder has increased in 26 of the 53 cities, and 
robberies have increased in 43 of the 53 cities.
  In Boston, after a 19.6-percent increase in murder in 2005, the first 
6 months of 2006 produced another 27.5-percent increase. In Memphis, 
murder increased 27 percent in 2005 and 43 percent in 2006. Police 
officials attribute these severe increases to increases in gang 
activity, violent offenders returning from prison and kids who have 
easy access to guns.
  In September, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that in 
2005 violent crime increased 2.3 percent, murder and non-negligent 
manslaughter increased 3.4 percent, robbery increased 3.9 percent, and 
aggravated assault increased 1.8 percent from 2004.
  What may be even more dramatic is the fact that these statistics are 
not exclusive to larger cities. Smaller communities that typically had 
relatively low amounts of crime have also been affected. In the first 6 
months of 2006, robbery was up 47 percent in Rochester, NY, 37 percent 
in suburban Montgomery County, MD, 36.8 percent in Minneapolis, 36 
percent in Milwaukee, and 27 percent in Norfolk, VA. This translates 
into thousands more people being robbed, often at gunpoint.
  According to a poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News, 61 
percent of Americans favor stricter gun laws. This is up from 57 
percent in 2002. The 109th Congress's record on gun safety is not one 
of which to be proud. It has been a ``do nothing'' Congress. I will 
continue in the 110th Congress to work to pass sensible gun safety 
legislation to help make our communities safer.

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