[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 7 (Thursday, January 11, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E34-E35]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SAFER STREETS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 11, 2018

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Safer Streets 
Act which creates a new grant program that focuses on violent crime in 
our local communities. Reducing violent crime should be a priority for 
the federal government.
  In my district 228 people were killed in 2016. The deadliest year in 
two decades. In

[[Page E35]]

2017, 200 people were killed. That is 200 people too many. Cities like 
Memphis were able to reduce violent crimes by hiring more police and 
providing programs to help children in the city. It is important that 
local governments that are trying to reduce violent crimes get federal 
assistance.
  That is why I am introducing the Safer Streets Act. This bill would 
create a new grant program that would provide grants to units of local 
government that have crime rates significantly above the national rate. 
Units of local governments with crime rates four times the national 
rate would get 50 percent of the funds, units of local governments with 
crime rates three times the national rate would get 20 percent of the 
funds, and units of local governments with crime rates two times the 
national rate would get 10 percent of the funds. This bill also creates 
an emergency fund for units of local governments that have spikes of 
violent crimes.
  I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation and support 
our local communities as they work to reduce violent crime.

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