    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [January 11, 1997]
    [Pages 29-30]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 11, 1997

        Good morning. Today I want to talk about how to build upon the
    progress we've made together in working against crime and violence, and
    especially how we can fight against youth crime.
        Four years ago it seemed to many Americans as if the forces of crime
    and violence had gained an intractable hold over our country, and law-
    abiding Americans were afraid that from now on they would just have to
    put up with the insecurity and loss that goes with rampant crime. I was
    determined to turn that around, to give people the tools they need to
    take back their streets and schools and neighborhoods, to reestablish a
    sense of security and true freedom in our country, and to restore our
    people's faith in the power of law and order.
        We had a comprehensive plan to fight crime, to put 100,000 new
    community police officers on the street and tough new penalties on the
    books, to keep guns away from criminals by passing the Brady bill and
    banning assault weapons, to steer young people away from crime, gangs,
    and drugs in the first place. This approach is working.
        This week the FBI reported that serious crime dropped another 3
    percent last year, dropping for the 5th year in a row, the longest
    decline in more than 25 years. This is great news, not because it gives
    us a chance to sit back and rest on our laurels but because it does show
    all of us that if we work together we can make a difference.
        Now that we've finally turned the crime on the run, we have to
    redouble our efforts. We have to drive the forces of violence further
    and further into retreat. And as we move forward, we have to remember
    that we're not just fighting against crime; we're fighting for the kind
    of nation we want to build together for the 21st century, for an America
    where people feel safe when they walk around the block at night and
    untroubled when they kiss their children goodbye in the morning, an
    America where nobody's grandmother lives across the street from a crack
    house and nobody's child walks to school through a neighborhood overrun
    by gangs. We're fighting for our children and for their future.
        As I begin my second term as President, the next stage in our fight
    must center on keeping our children safe and attacking the scourge of
    juvenile crime and gangs. I want every police officer, prosecutor, and
    citizen in America working together to keep our young people safe and
    young criminals off the streets. This should be

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    America's top priority in the fight for law and order over the next 4
    years. I pledge it will be mine.
        We must help parents protect their children and bring order and
    discipline to their lives. That's why I support school uniforms and
    community-based curfews. That's why we made zero tolerance for guns in
    schools the law of the land and passed Megan's Law to demand that States
    tell a community whenever a dangerous sexual predator enters its midst.
    Now we must do more to give young people something to say yes to, after
    school, on weekends, and in the summer. And we must finish the job of
    putting 100,000 police on our streets.
        At the same time, young people must understand that if they break
    the law, they will be punished, and if they commit violent crimes, they
    will be punished severely. I am determined to break the backs of
    criminal gangs that have ruined too many lives and stolen too many
    futures by bringing the full force of the law against them.
        One of the most difficult problems facing law enforcement in this
    fight is the power of gang members to thwart the criminal justice system
    by threatening and intimidating the witnesses against them. Too many
    people in too many communities will not testify about gang crimes
    because they are afraid of violent reprisal. We must not allow the voice
    of justice to be frightened into silence by the violent threats of
    gangs.
        Today the Justice Department is releasing a report called
    ``Preventing Gang and Drug-Related Witness Intimidation.'' This report
    is a handbook for police officers, prosecutors, and judges to help them
    overcome the dangerous obstacle witness intimidation poses to the steady
    march of justice. It details the problems they face and helps to provide
    a blueprint for them to follow that will significantly help State and
    local gang investigation and prosecution. Starting today, the Justice
    Department will distribute this report to thousands of police
    departments, prosecutors, and judges across America.
        In the coming weeks, I will submit to Congress comprehensive
    legislation to combat youth violence and drug abuse. Together with all
    our other efforts against youth violence, this will be the top crime
    fighting priority of my second term. I've asked the Attorney General to
    closely examine the growing threat of witness intimidation by gangs and
    to recommend strong measures to stop it that can be included in this
    legislation. We must not allow the very gangs we're fighting to grind
    the wheels of justice to a halt.
        Over the past 4 years we've shown that we can roll back crime and
    violence. Now is no time to let up. There is still too much of it. But
    if we continue to work together, to stand up for what is right, to work
    with our community police officers, to take responsibility for ourselves
    and our families and the other children in our communities who need a
    guiding hand and an encouraging word, if we'll do all these things, we
    can keep the crime rate coming down and we can build the future our
    children deserve.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 4:55 p.m. on January 10 in the
    Roosevelt Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January
    11.