    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [May 8, 1997]
    [Pages 577-578]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Juvenile Crime Legislation
    May 8, 1997

        Today, the House of Representatives missed an important opportunity
    to fight and prevent the scourge of juvenile crime. I oppose passage of
    H.R. 3, the Juvenile Crime Control Act, because it fails to provide a
    comprehensive plan to crack down on youth and gang violence.
        As I began my second term as President, I made juvenile crime and
    gangs my top law enforcement priority over the next 4 years. I called on
    every police officer, prosecutor, and parent in America to work together
    to keep our young people safe and to keep young criminals off our
    streets.
        America's Anti-Gang and Youth Violence strategy must declare war on
    gangs; target funding for additional local prosecutors to pursue,
    prosecute, and punish gang members; extend the Brady law so violent teen
    criminals will never have the right to purchase a gun; require Federal
    dealers to sell a child safety lock with every gun, to protect our kids
    from using guns to hurt each other or themselves; and target resources
    to keep schools open late, on weekends, and in the summer, to keep young
    people off the street and out of trouble.
        The legislation passed in the House today fails to provide any of
    these necessary measures to give law enforcement, prosecutors, and
    parents the tools they need to combat gangs and youth violence in their
    communities.
        Four years ago, we made a commitment to take our streets back from
    crime and violence. We had a comprehensive plan of 100,000 new community
    police officers on the street, tough new penalties on the books, and
    steps to keep guns out of the hands of criminals with the assault
    weapons ban and the Brady bill.
        Our plan is working. Last year, violent crime came down for the 5th
    year in a row. And for the first time in 7 years, the rate of young
    people arrested for violent crime and murder has gone down. But we
    cannot waste this opportunity to bring down violent juvenile crime even
    further. I will continue to work with Congress to ensure passage of
    legislation that will give our children the safest and most secure
    future possible.

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