[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16621]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  SENSE OF HOUSE THAT PRESIDENT AND ADMINISTRATION FOCUS APPROPRIATE 
                ATTENTION ON ISSUE OF NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME

  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of 
the resolution (H. Res. 561) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that the President should focus appropriate attention 
on the issue of neighborhood crime prevention, community policing and 
reduction of school crime by delivering speeches, convening meetings, 
and directing his Administration to make reducing crime an important 
priority, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, but I shall 
not object, as I have introduced this resolution to emphasize the 
importance of crime prevention at the local level and to recognize the 
efforts of National Night Out.
  I am pleased to say that this bipartisan resolution has more than 75 
cosponsors. I would like to specifically thank the chairman and ranking 
member of the Committee on the Judiciary and the chairman and ranking 
member of the Subcommittee on Crime for their help in bringing this 
bill to the floor, and the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Ramstad, the 
cochair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, who has worked tirelessly with 
me on these important law enforcement issues.
  My resolution calls upon the President to focus on neighborhood crime 
prevention programs, community policing programs, and reducing school 
crime. It also highlights National Night Out, which is coming up on 
August 1, as a successful national program, which exemplifies the goals 
of crime reduction through neighborhood and community efforts.
  National Night Out is a nationwide event which combines a nationally 
coordinated crime prevention campaign with local communities and law 
enforcement organizations to take a stand against crime.
  This year's National Night Out is the 107th annual event in the 
campaign by the National Association of Town Watch to fight crime. 
National Night Out has grown year after year, and now includes 
citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, 
neighborhood organizations and local officials from 9,500 communities 
from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, 
Canadian citizens and military bases worldwide.
  In 1999, 32.5 million people participated in National Night Out. 
Those 32 million people joined together and sent a message, loud and 
clear, that they do not want crime in our neighborhoods and streets and 
that they want to keep working together until our communities are safe.
  I firmly believe that a focus on neighborhood and community crime 
prevention is essential. It is for this reason that I have long 
supported the COPS Program in the Department of Justice, and I am a 
strong supporter of National Night Out.
  As a former police officer who used to fight crime on the local and 
State level, I can tell you these programs work. Personal involvement 
in one's community, individual attention to our youth, taking 
responsibility for ourselves and others, these things make a 
difference.
  Each of us will be returning next week to our districts for the 
August recess. I hope that each of us will take the opportunity to 
participate in National Night Out events in our communities, and show 
the strength of our national commitment to stop crime and keep our 
communities safe.
  I also take this opportunity to urge President Clinton to continue to 
focus national attention on reducing crime and to continue his efforts 
to promote neighborhood crime prevention and community policing. It is 
true that crime has been going down under his watch, but we can and 
must do more.
  National Night Out community events need not only happen once a year. 
I would like to see a time come when our communities get together with 
the same unity and spirit on these parades, youth events and cookouts, 
not because they are fighting crime, but because their communities are 
safe enough, close enough, and involved enough that their cooperation 
and unity is an everyday occurrence. That is the America of the past, 
and it can be the America of the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous consent of this House resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 561

       Whereas neighborhood crime is of continuing concern to the 
     American people;
       Whereas the fight against neighborhood crime requires 
     people to work together in cooperation with law enforcement 
     officials;
       Whereas neighborhood crime watch organizations are 
     effective at promoting awareness about, and the participation 
     of volunteers in, crime prevention activities at the local 
     level;
       Whereas neighborhood crime watch groups can contribute to 
     the Nation's war on drugs by helping to prevent their 
     communities from becoming markets for drug dealers;
       Whereas crime and violence in schools is of continuing 
     concern to the American people due to the recent high-profile 
     incidents that have resulted in fatalities at several schools 
     across the United States;
       Whereas community-based programs involving law enforcement, 
     school administrators, teachers, parents, and local 
     communities work effectively to reduce school violence and 
     crime;
       Whereas citizens across America will soon take part in a 
     ``National Night Out'', a unique crime prevention event which 
     will demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of 
     community participation in crime prevention efforts by having 
     people spend the period from 7 to 10 o'clock P.M. on August 
     1, 2000, with their neighbors in front of their homes with 
     their lights on; and
       Whereas schools that turn their lights on from 7 to 10 
     o'clock P.M. on August 1, 2000, would send a positive message 
     to the participants of ``National Night Out'' and would show 
     their commitment to reduce crime and violence in schools: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that the President should focus appropriate 
     attention on the issue of neighborhood crime prevention, 
     community policing, and reduction of school crime by 
     delivering speeches, convening meetings, and directing his 
     Administration to make reducing crime an important priority.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the resolution is agreed 
to.
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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