[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[October 26, 1996]
[Pages 1936-1937]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
October 26, 1996

    Good morning. Today I want to talk about what we must do to stand up 
for the rights and interests of crime victims as we work to combat 
crime. I'm announcing a major new effort to help the victims of crime, 
especially those who are the victims of gang violence.
    We put in place an anticrime strategy that is both tough and smart: 
putting 100,000 police on our streets; toughened penalties; banning 19 
deadly assault weapons; passed the Brady bill that's kept 60,000 felons, 
fugitives, and stalkers from getting guns. Congress just answered my 
call to tell parolees, if you go back on drugs, you'll go back to jail.
    We've greatly expanded the safe and drug-free schools program, so 
that in every classroom we can have good role models telling our young 
people constantly, drugs are dangerous, illegal, and wrong.
    All across America this community-based strategy is working. Crime 
is coming down in every region, in every category. The FBI reports that 
crime in America has dropped 4 years in a row now. Last year there were 
one million fewer crime victims. Crime is at a 10-year low in our 
country, but it's still intolerably high. We can take some comfort in 
knowing we're moving in the right direction. And we have to keep going 
and finish the job.
    But as we prevent crime and punish criminals, we must also always 
remember the victims of crime themselves. When you're a victim, 
especially a victim of violent crime, the losses you face go far beyond 
the money stolen or the property destroyed. We must do everything we can 
to help the victims of crime to make sure their voices are heard in the 
corridors of justice.
    For nearly 20 years now, I've been involved in the fight for 
victims' rights. As attorney general of my State, I proposed legislation 
that compensates the victims of crime. As Governor, I signed legislation 
guaranteeing the right of victims to be present in the courtroom. As 
President, I've fought to protect victims. The Violence Against Women 
Act helps thousands of women who are victims of domestic abuse and 
sexual assault. We've helped open hundreds of new shelters for those 
fleeing domestic violence. And our toll-free hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE, 
has received nearly 60,000 calls.
    I support a constitutional amendment to guarantee crime victims the 
right to attend and speak at court proceedings, sentencing, and parole 
hearings; the right to be told when a convict

[[Page 1937]]

is released or escapes; and the right to restitution from the criminal.
    Since 1984, our National Government has had a crime victims fund, 
which is distributed by State government. This fund helps to pay for 
medical bills, counseling, lost wages. It helps provide for advocacy for 
crime victims when their assailant is standing trial. This year alone, 
it has helped 2,500 grassroots victim assistance programs, setting up 
battered women's shelters, rape crisis centers, children's advocacy 
centers. These resources for crime victims come from those convicted of 
Federal crimes, not from the taxpayer.
    Because of large prosecutions and criminal penalties sought by our 
administration, the resources available in this fund for crime victims 
have grown by 250 percent during our service here. And I am happy to 
report a major new infusion of resources for crime victims. Two weeks 
ago, a major agribusiness corporation agreed to pay $100 million for 
criminal price-fixing violations. That's a fine 7 times larger than any 
previous antitrust fine. These penalties will now go to the crime 
victims fund. Earlier this year, a Japanese bank convicted of fraud paid 
$340 million. These two huge fines will increase the crime victims fund 
by $440 million, every penny to be used to help crime victims.
    Already some of these funds are targeted to specific needs, 
including the victims of domestic violence, rape, or child abuse. I want 
this fund to focus on another key priority as well. Violent juvenile 
gangs can leave broken bodies and ruined neighborhoods in their wake. 
Children age 12 to 15 are the most likely victims of gang violence, and 
victims can be especially afraid to testify since they face not just a 
sole criminal but an organized gang. So today I'm challenging States to 
earmark 10 percent of the new resources from these huge new criminal 
fines--that's about $44 million--to help victims of gang violence and to 
keep gang violence from spreading.
    We can help groups like Teens on Target in Los Angeles and Oakland, 
California, which help gang victims, many of them disabled, speak to 
thousands of schoolchildren each year to warn the children about the 
dangers of gang life. We can teach our children right from wrong and 
keep them from following a path that only leads to a life of crime, 
disappointment, and destruction.
    With the new resources from these record-setting criminal fines, we 
can help the victims of crime and prevent gang violence. We're upholding 
the rule of law. We're putting crime victims where they belong, at the 
center of the criminal justice system, not on the outside looking in.
    We're making real progress in our fight against crime, but we still 
have a lot of work to do. If we'll come together as a national community 
to stand by those who have been caught in the crossfire, to take crime 
out of politics and put the focus back on people, protecting them and 
making their future brighter, we will move together into the 21st 
century stronger and more united and safer than ever before.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 2:54 p.m. on October 25 at Paschal's 
Motor Hotel in Atlanta, GA, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 26.