[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.