    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [November 23, 1997]
    [Page 1652]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Effectiveness of Anticrime Measures
    November 23, 1997

        Crime rates continue to fall dramatically throughout the country,
    and it's no accident. With community police at the center of our
    efforts, we have worked to give communities the tools they need to rid
    their neighborhoods of gangs, guns, and drugs. We have made real
    progress: There are nearly 5,000 fewer murders annually in America today
    than in 1993.
        Now we need to take juvenile crime head on. The spending bill I will
    sign next week includes more than $100 million to hire scores of local
    prosecutors, probation officers, and others to crack down on gangs. With
    these provisions, coupled with new after-school programs and a $195
    million anti-drug media campaign, we can begin to pursue a strategy that
    works to keep all of our youth on track.

    Note: This statement was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on November 23, but it was embargoed for release until 6 p.m.